b'Because of your gifts, Deacons therapies allow You are helping Deacon him to be more independent in his daily life.reach his developmental milestonesWhen Anne Smith learned that her son Deacon sufferedLast November he started walking independently, from a rare auto-chromosomal syndrome, there was onedue in great part to the therapies he received at Mercy thing in particular that she didnt expect.Health, Anne said. We didnt understand what a feat it was to get himHe is able to write his name with assistance and he can feeding himself, she said.use steps, which is important because we live in a Six years later, thanks to the collaborative therapies thatbi-level, she says. These are things that are very much Deacon receives from Mercy HealthSpringfielda part of his daily life.Pediatric Rehabilitation, they are making significantAnne said Deacons therapies contribute to his overall strides in overcoming that obstacle.happiness as well. Feeding seems like a very isolated thing, Anne said.Its more than just helping him learn about his body and But now he has the core strength, balance andhis movements, its also giving him a sense of self and coordination from physical therapy, the coordination toindependence, she said. scoop and put the utensil into his mouth fromAnne believes the support you provide to Pediatric occupational therapy, the strength and stamina to chewRehab with programs and equipment has an impact on in feeding therapy, and hes working on mouth-positiontheir entire family.in speechthose are all helping with his feeding overall. Those successes are not the only milestones youveYou have an influence on things big and little in our helped Deacon reach.lives every day.31'