This is Kendal on her first day of preschool in May of 2008.
She was so so little, only three years old.
3 years old is the age they can start Early Intervention Preschool.
Because of Kendal's seizures and her lack of mental and social development, she was able to take advantage of the Early Intervention programs.
Previous to her attending their preschool, we had a speech therapist and occupational therapist come to our home every 2 weeks to work with Kendal. When she turned three, she moved into preschool.
Sweet Kendal, she is the child that seems to be the one that deals with all kinds of crazy conditions and hardships. The seizures and their medications, with all their horrible side effects, recently eye problems that required 6 months of wearing a patch and glasses forever, attention and hyperactivity issues, and in these two pictures, a broken leg. (Weakened skeletal system was one bad side effect of her seizure meds.)
She wasn't supposed to walk on that broken leg, and the doctor said he would cast it at such a crazy angle to make it physically impossible for her to walk on.
Well, Kendal seems to be handed plenty of hardships, but she also overcomes them.
Not only did she walk on it, she jumped on the trampoline!
(This picture was the day she got the cast removed, I didn't let her jump on it until then, promise!)
She has the spunky little personality to overcome the challenges that she gets to face in this life.
She and the great doctors overcame the seizures, she overcame her eye condition in half the time her eye doctor expected, she overcame her speech issues, she overcame her learning issues and repeated first grade with a great success, and she will continue to overcome whatever comes her way.
Last month I had a meeting with her teachers and administrators at her school where she is now in second grade. The Special Education teachers did some extensive testing with Kendal in September and wanted to discuss the results with me.
She has been in the Special Education system since those early days of the therapists visiting our home when she was two, then 2 years of Early Intervention preschool, all day Kindergarten, first grade twice, three years of summer school, and now. She received help in her classes every day with Math, went to speech a few times a week, and also went to get extra help with the special education teachers. I have been pleased with all the help and attention she has received.
All the testing came back saying that Kendal is now a pretty average little second grader. She reads above grade level, spells above grade level, and completes math and other subjects at grade level as well. Her IQ skyrocketed and is above average, and her speech and actions are age appropriate.
Whew!
So, they exited her out of the special education system.
Yep, just like that.
It was a great day. The administrators and teachers say this rarely ever happens. Most kids stay with the programs because they still need them. Kendal doesn't anymore. She overcame it all.
Those early days of so many EEG's at Primary Children's Hospital are long gone. The days of over the top high blood pressure and kidney stones are gone. The summers of staying in the house during the day because she couldn't actually sweat, and overheating was a real life issue are over. The days of no immune system and seizures are gone. The days of me worrying if she would ever talk again are long gone. The days of me wondering if she will ever learn to read are gone.
I still worry about her, that is for sure. I still get frustrated when I listen to her read and she sounds out the first three letters and then guesses the rest of the word. I still tell her to sit still while she wiggles and does her homework after school. I still have to make her eat a snack when she thinks she isn't hungry. I still worry if she is being nice to her friends at school. I still hope she is listening to her teacher and being respectful.
I still worry, but it is the normal worrying of a mother for a child.
The normal concerns.
Thank Heaven.
And thank Heaven that He blessed her with the personality to overcome.
