Your kindness made a tremendous difference to a little boy named Daniel!* Daniel lives with his foster parents and 8 other children, many of them also foster kids. His foster parents will tell you that he’s a very sweet kid.
Daniel doesn’t speak, can’t see and uses a wheelchair. He was isolated at his last school. So when he arrived at Wayfinder’s Special Education School, he was withdrawn. He didn’t play with the other kids. His disabilities left him feeling alone. No child should feel like that!
He often grew frustrated, because it was hard to communicate his needs. You can probably imagine how frustrating that would be not to speak. Daniel’s response was to bang his head on his desk or another surface. So he wore a helmet to protect his head.
Because you care, Daniel is learning
Since he began to attend Wayfinder’s Special Education School, he’s made so much progress. And you made that possible.
Because of your generosity, Daniel is doing so much better. He’s bilingual, and his teachers know that he understands them in English or Spanish. And he’s learned to feed himself. (Mashed potatoes are his favorite!)
And now he’s even learning his ABCs. That’s great progress!
He’s an easy boy to love. Recently, Daniel celebrated his birthday. And every student on campus came to his classroom to sing “Happy Birthday” to him. He was thrilled! Now, rather than keeping to himself, Daniel just lights up the room. And everyone feels his affection.
The critical services your generosity makes possible
Children like Daniel come to Wayfinder’s Special Education School because we can offer them the services they need.
And your gifts are what make that possible. The families we serve are from low-income households. And Wayfinder
provides all our services at no cost. But without your help, services like ours would be out of reach for most families.
Wayfinder’s school serves a variety of students, from age 5 to 22. They have moderate-to-severe disabilities and varying levels of medical, physical and behavioral challenges.
But at Wayfinder’s Special Education School, they are all part of a loving community. And we believe, whatever their
abilities, every child deserves a safe and encouraging school setting.
Daniel is thriving thanks to you
Daniel loves being at school now. He loves music and playing games with his teachers.
He receives physical therapy each week. But his teachers know he would benefit from more help. So the school plans
to request additional services for him, like occupational therapy and speech therapy. The goal is for Daniel to become
more mobile and more independent.
And Daniel has even begun taking a few steps. That takes a lot of patience and trust!
Daniel’s parents are happy with how well he’s doing in school.
His dad told us, “He’s been more interactive, more social with other children in our home. He understands more. He
recognizes your voice, and when someone makes a joke, he’ll start laughing. It’s very sweet.”
Thanks to you, Daniel and other children find what they need to thrive: caring, well-trained teachers, adaptive
classrooms, and so much more.
Please consider a gift to Wayfinder today. You can give securely on our website now!
October 16, 2024