Reaching new heights

Tim is part of our Savannah project. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease.

In May 2015, Tim underwent heart surgery in Beijing. Due to complications the surgery that was supposed to take 2 hours took 5 hours. Fortunately, Tim recovered well after surgery. Within a few months his food intake and sleep improved. When he fully recovered, he was able to begin doing physical therapy.

He learned to roll over and began to use his hands and feet to explore his surroundings. He learned to hold a bottle and was soon able to feed himself. Through daily interaction with the medical staff and his nannies, Tim began to learn to understand simple words.

One day, a big bouncy castle came to New Day. His nanny put him in a musical rocking car, but Tim stretched out his hand for his nanny to hold. He looked at the castle and then looked at his nanny, as if saying, " I want to go sliding too!"

He participates in physical therapy and life skill games every day which has helped him progress in his development. This daily routine keeps him on track developmentally and ensures his days are beneficial.

Although Tim can't speak, he has a way of letting his desires be known. His therapist would have him practice walking with a walker every day, and before he took a few steps, he would want to sit down. Sometimes he would even pretend to cry, but not have a single tear. He would keep his eye on the schedule board knowing that when it was language time he could sit and relax. 

Continued physical therapy began to bear fruit.

From standing holding onto the sofa -- standing in a stander for about half an hour -- using a walker -- his nanny standing behind to assist him in walking -- to finally walking slowly holding his nanny’s hand.

Now Tim likes to walk.

After eating, when he sees the other children running around, he can't sit still. His little butt doesn't seem to want to sit on the chair for a moment. It’s a signal to his nanny that he wants to walk. So, every time after dinner, his nanny will take Tim's little hand and walk for a while. While walking he looks so proud, his head is slightly raised, his eyes keep looking around to make sure everyone sees. And when his nanny praises him, it encourages him to keep going.

Tim likes to swing and would happily do this activity every day. If his nanny stops pushing him, he will sign in sign language that he wants to continue. If she continues, he will get a big smile on his face.

Crawling through a colorful tunnel is Tim's favorite activity because there will be a reward of cookies after the hard work! He is patient as he crawls, repeating it over and over. After passing through the tunnel, he must cross a hill of sofa pillows, and then stand up to win the cookie reward. Every time he gets the cookie, he will squeal letting you know he is happy.

Tim developed a close relationship with the nannies and the other children who live with him. 

When watching his brothers play catch, he would happily cheer them on. When his nanny handed him the ball, he would throw it in the direction of his brother. When his older brother passed the ball back, he would then throw the ball towards his nanny. He loves to be a part of the game and interacting with others. 

Tim is loved and cherished. We believe that he will continue to surprise us with his development. That love truly will help him to rise to new heights.

 

Love changes lives.