Ella's Story

When their daughter Ella was diagnosed with epilepsy at just 13 months old, Andrea and Adam’s lives were turned upside down. Andrea had to leave her job to care for Ella and her newborn sister Hannah. At a time that Andrea describes as one of the most difficult in their lives, she called St. David’s Center. Here, she found a place where both of her daughters could receive the best possible start in life and a place where Ella could have the one-on-one support she needed to thrive. When Hannah was ready to leave St. David’s Center and enroll in kindergarten, Andrea and Adam sent us a beautiful thank you letter.

Dear St. David’s Staff,

As we approach our youngest daughter, Hannah’s, last week at St. David’s Center, we find ourselves wondering how we can possibly say thank you for everything you have done for our family!  During one of the most difficult times in our lives, you were there for us! At 13 months, our oldest daughter, Ella, was diagnosed with epilepsy. Our lives were turned upside down. She began having 8-12 seizures a day and falling to the ground without warning. I had to leave my full-time job to care for her and baby Hannah. We felt so isolated and didn’t know what to do.

Then, I contacted St. David’s Center and spoke with Jana about respite services…what a blessing! Ella began participating in the respite program and therapy programs.

Thank you for:

• Inclusion: You do an unbelievable job of making ALL students feel welcomed and included. This is very apparent in your classrooms, and you should be proud.

• Respite: We are so thankful for this service and greatly appreciate all the coordination it takes. We have been blessed to meet Mikaela, Jamie and Elizabeth who have all worked one-on-one with Ella. It can be very difficult to leave your special needs child with someone other than yourself, and St. David’s Center made that very easy for me!

• Therapy on-site: We utilized speech and occupational therapy services, and the staff was very knowledgeable and pleasant to work with.

• Phenomenal teachers and paraprofessionals: Ann, Beth, Tish, Brenda, Elizabeth, Chris, Rose, Sue, Jamie, Kimberly, Paige, and so many more people that make St. David’s Center such a special, inclusive learning environment.  Each and every one of you has played a unique and special role in our daughter’s lives. We have been blessed with wonderful teachers!

• Accommodating and helpful front desk and custodial staff who help keep the place running successfully every day. Thank you Vicki, we will miss greeting you every day!

• Staff who do not work directly with children or families but have such a very important role in making sure St. David’s Center can continue to provide services.

• Inadvertently connecting special needs families with one another: This is a priceless gift, and I will take so many lifelong friendships with me from St. David’s Center.

• All the other things I forgot to mention, and most importantly, thank you for giving this mama a break so I can be the best mom I can be to my family! Thank you for the gift of time!

The best way to thank you for all you have done for our family over the years is to donate to St. David’s Center so you can continue to provide outstanding services for ALL children. I volunteered on the silent auction committee for the St. David’s Center Make Them Shine Gala for the past two years, and it is my hope that you are able to share this letter with companies and families encouraging them to donate. Companies appreciated when I shared my story about our family and why donations are so crucial for nonprofit businesses.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…you will forever be in our hearts,

The Andersen Family

Adam, Andrea, Ella and Hannah