TIMID TO BRAVE

Thaddeus joined our Little Deer Project in November 2021. However, he is not a newcomer to New Day because from 2019 to 2021 he was part of our formula project.

Thaddeus has lower leg deformities and some abnormal brain development. These two conditions seriously affected his movement, learning and self-care ability.

Since Thaddeus joined us, his nanny has poured into him with all her heart. First, she helped him adjust to his new living environment. When he arrived, he was uncomfortable, always having a worried expression, crying often even when eating, and drinking. Everything was different from his previous life. His nanny talked to him patiently and tenderly every day, played games with him, and took care of him. He quickly accepted the new environment and began to attach to his nanny.

 

After a few months, Thaddeus’ attachment to his nanny became very strong. Every day when he sees her, he greets her with a smiling face. When his nanny is not present, he will babble and look for her, and sometimes he will follow her around like a little dog. He has begun to imitate and play with others, and we often see him laughing at the exaggerated gestures and expressions of others.

 

One of his favorite activities is blowing bubbles. This activity can help his lip strength, and social skills.

When it is time to blow bubbles, and his nanny takes out the prepared materials, Thaddeus will bounce around in his small chair as he waits. In the beginning, he couldn't close his lips enough to blow a bubble. He would watch the bubbles blown by others seeing how colorful they were under the sunlight. His eyes would be opened wide as they followed the bubbles, and he would give a big smile. After several demonstrations by his nanny Thaddeus finally blew a few small bubbles. Watching the bubbles, he blew slowly fall, he would try to catch them with his small hands. Thaddeus enjoyed blowing and popping the bubbles and would clap his hands happily, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

 

His nanny helped him learn to roll over, sit independently, and crawl. The development of upper body strength can make up for the defect of his lower body and help him to move more freely in the future. With the improvement of Thaddeus’ physical strength, his range of activities has become wider and wider, and his self-confidence has increased making him more willing to explore new things around him!

 

Through specialized feeding and therapy exercises, Thaddeus has greatly increased his appetite, interacts with other children more, and has begun to show more of his personality. We now see his upbeat, friendly, lovable personality, his adventurous spirit and willingness to share!

Our hope for Thaddeus is that this will be a fruitful year for him.