'Tis the season for giving!

At TTP we have been getting in the spirit of giving by having the ever famous Secret Santa. For the past couple of weeks, we have each been tip-toeing around trying to be sneaky when placing a small gift in each other's box. Secret Santa is a fun game, each person drawing the name of another and secretly delivering gifts to that person until the time comes for the big reveal.

It's always fun to give gifts to people, even those you may not know as well. Watching as they see that they have a sercy, and to see as they try to guess who has given it to them, certainly is fun.

I love to give gifts. I love seeing the joy on someone's face as they unwrap a gift I put thought and emotion into. I enjoy making things person; and I don't mean monogramming. No, I enjoy thinking about all of the things that a specific person likes, enjoys, the characteristics that make up him or her, and creating a gift that touches their heart. I'm not saying I craft everyone's gifts, and I certainly try not to make them cry. I simply like to put a lot of thought into the gifts I give.

So whether you are a Secret Santa or just a Santa, take in those moments of joy as you watch your friend or loved one open up the gift(s) you put your heart into. This season is such a wonderful time of year, and I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends and family to share it with.

I hope that your holiday is just as memorable and fun as mine, and to each one of you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

It is definitely that time of year when we would rather be decorating our houses with beautiful wreaths, holly berries, garlands, lights, and snowmen or sitting down to an old Christmas movie with a big mug of hot chocolate (with marshmallows) than sitting at work or running errands.

The Therapy Place is is full swing for the holiday season: our tree is up and snowmen and snowflakes are in the front windows.

To start off this holiday season, The Therapy Place, partnering with Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts, premiered the show The Lovely Ducklings this past Saturday night at the Township Auditorium. For those of you who came, wasn't it amazing? The dancers danced beautifully, the atmosphere was fun, and everyone had a great time!

For those of you who couldn't make it, you missed a terrific performance! Writer Jamila Phillips did a spectacular job portraying the strength it takes to overcome disabilities in life. A heartwarming production that will change anyone's outlook on those who are different.

So who has their tree up and decorated? How did you decorate yours?

My little tree at home stands 1 foot tall and is covered in tiny red and green ornaments along with the ornament my fiance and I chose for this year. I love Christmas! It is so much fun to play Christmas music and watch 24 hours of 'A Christmas Story' on TBS.

What are some traditions in your household?

Thankful Thursday

Thank you, God, for the many blessings you have bestowed upon this organization. Most times we take for granted the opportunities and provisions you have provided for us, not stopping to say thank you.

You have given us a place for this organization to thrive, a community with support and giving in their hearts, parents who carry more love with them than many I have ever met; you have provided the means by which we can give therapy, found no where else in South Carolina, to children who need it.

Each day I witness your works, whether in the children who come through these doors or in the acts of kindness and generosity given by even the most random of supporters.

It isn't about how much money we receive or how many kids we serve, but about the reason we serve the children we do.
So why do we do this? Why do we work so hard to provide a variety of unique therapies to children who need them? Why do we fight with Medicaid day in, day out, to pay for these therapies? Why do we travel to Michigan just to be trained in a specific method of treatment? Why do we stress out over even the tiniest of details here at this organization? What makes this worth all of the anxiety, the pressure, the long hours, everything, worth it?
Have you been reading anything I have written? Or looked at the children in the pictures I have posted? The joy of accomplishment, of meeting goals that may seem simple in the eyes of everyone else. Here, these are milestones; these are miracles. Every person who puts effort into this place--whether they be a therapist, an admin, a conductor, an aide, a donor, or just a random person who shows interest--receives one of the most awesome gifts: the smile of a special needs child.
There are many in the world who don't quite understand special needs; they think that something must be wrong with them because they don't look like or act like they do. On the contrary, my dear friend. It is we who are weak. Special needs children are stronger than us: they have the capability and the drive to make it through more obstacles than we do. When the world tells them they can't, we believe and know they can, then they do it. When they world tells them they shouldn't, we say they should. and they do it.
Thank you, God, for blessing each of us with the opportunity to come together with the same goal in mind: to reach out to those in need and provide ways for them to overcome those obstacles life tells them they can't hurdle over. Thank you, God, for every pair of feet to walk, or roll, through these doors, and continue to bless this organization.

Amen.

Here at The Therapy Place we are extremely fortunate to have the involvement of parents and guardians. It is always such a blessing to see how much the parents and guardians believe in the work that is being accomplished here; the hard work from the therapists, conductors and aides, as well as the hard work from the children.

(above) Cliff walking with Miss Krisztina.

Natalie Potts, mother, DIY guru, dressmaker, blogger, videographer, photographer, whatever you want to call her, has put together a video showcasing the amazing miracles happening in Conductive Education. In this video, she provides pictures, video footage of what goes on each day, as well as exclusive interviews with both Krisztina and fellow CE mother Jamila.

Take a look at what God has provided The Therapy Place through Conductive Education.

Amazing, right? Please share your thoughts, emotions and encouragement with us. We are very excited about each of the therapies we provide for the children of South Carolina, Conductive Education being only one of them. If you are interested in learning more about us, we encourage you to visit our website; learn about the traditional therapies we offer, learn about the out-of-the-box therapies we offer; learn about who we are as an organization, and learn about the love and devotion we give to every child and family who walks through our doors. We are extremely blessed, and we want to share these blessings with everyone who is interested.



Shuck 'Em n' Slurp 'Em

In my own life there are many things that I enjoy, am interested in, am passionate about, and love. Two of the things that fall into one or more of those categories are children and oysters. Yes, ma'am and yes, sir, oysters. Boy-howdy, they are so unique in taste, rich in flavor of the ocean, and I sure do love them.

You are probably wondering why on earth I am sharing this with you. "Brooke, we read this thing for the children, not for you!"

Yes, I know, I know, it is all about the children; I agree! I share this with you because I am super excited about an upcoming event. Guess what it involves....

OYSTERS!!!

The Harmony School, a small, non-profit, private pre-school, kindergarten and elementary school, hosts a fundraising Oyster Roast each year. And every year, they choose a local non-profit organization to sponsor; this year they have chosen The Therapy Place!

Saturday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m., The Harmony School is going to have an oyster roast with a chili cook-off, live bands, beer and wine. Sound like fun? You bet your good khaki pants it is!

So, here's the deal: the tickets are $30 each. Don't you try to tell me that is too expensive. Why? Because $15 is tax-deductible, that's why. Now, there are two ways you can purchase these tickets: the first way is to purchase them through The Harmony School itself, but none of you want to do that. For every ticket The Harmony School sells, they receive $10 of the $15 tax-deductible and we, The Therapy Place, receive $5. For every ticket we sell, we receive $10 of the $15 tax-deductible and The Harmony School receives $5.

Have I convinced you?

The next time you stop by The Therapy Place, come see me; I'll show you where the tickets are. I better see every one of you lining up outside of this front door wanting the tickets. You can even sell them to your own friends and family! The more the merrier! We love good parties, good music and good food! Don't you? I know you do!

To Change Or Not To Change; That Is The Question

What can describe The Therapy Place right now, at this exact moment? Busy. Yes, that usually describes us. Maybe right now we are not so much busy as simply evolving. Everyone evolves, right? We are all dynamic characters in this play of life, cinsistently changing.

Well, The Therapy Place has seen many changes in the last couple of weeks. To begin, our dear and sweet friend Ashley has left us after three amazing weeks with TheraSuit Method. She headed back to Atlanta last weekend, and we already miss her. She made such a difference in our facility, showing us what TheraSuit Method can do in the lives of those who use it. After three weeks, the changes and improvements seen in both Cooper and Jocelyn are tremendous. To see a child walk better, run better, jump better, is amazing, and I wish every one of you could have witnessed this. Ashley brought such joy to this organization, and we can never forget her.

Another big change is taking place in Conductive Education as I write this. Two weeks ago marked the end of the second summer session, and last week we all took a vacation from Conductive Ed, letting Miss Kristzina rest and get organized. This morning Conductive Ed began again, only this time, it came back with a twist. What was once a two session day, Conductive Ed is now a one session day, meeting 8:30 to 2:30. We are very proud to say that Conductive Education is taking more of a classroom perspective, paralleling the Richland 2 School Distrct calendar. We are extremely blessed to have such wonderful aides assisting Kristzina each day, as well as Mrs. Jamilla who is both a parent of a child we treat and a special needs teacher. This is such an exciting change for our CE kids, and the parents are thrilled to be a part of it.

You know, I believe I have not introduced the latest member of our team. Ah! Please forgive me! I was so wrapped up in TheraSuit that I never mentioned we've added a new Occupational Therapist to our team of therapists. Miss Kate, all the way from Illinois, joined us the same day Miss Ashely did, bringing excitement to The Therapy Place. She has been a pediatric OT for over three years, and is trained in Handwriting Without Tears, pediatric feeding and NDT Perspective for Pediatrics, and Myofacial Release. She graduated from the University of Missouri with her Bachelors of Science and Masters of Occupational Therapy.

We are very happy to have her aboard :)

Change is inevitable, and it is something I have had to accept. Some change is good, such as Conductive Education's change and having Kate as an additional therapist. Other change may not seem as good, but in reality, it serves a greater purpose that is good--such as Ashley having to leave us because she is needed elsewhere. I know I'm young and have many years (God willing, of course) ahead of me, but I have learned to like change and to accept the new things life can bring us. At The Therapy Place, we are growing, evolving, welcoming new ideas and people, and saying goodbye to friends who are needed somewhere else. There is a lot of change in our future, near and distant and it won't be easy, but it will be worth it to see what this organization and facility can become.

Innovation: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore!

Yesterday was a GREAT day!

First of all, TheraSuit began yesterday! And we are so excited and happy that Miss Ashley Cruttenden is spending the next three weeks here at The Therapy Place conducting TheraSuit with two of our kids: Cooper and Jocelyn.

As I may have mentioned before, TheraSuit is an awesome therapy that works with balance, coordination, and improving muscle tone and quality. Ashley works with Cooper and Jocelyn for three weeks, five days a week, for three consecutive hours. Now, that is intensive therapy. TheraSuit Method utilizes a special suit with bungees that can be tailored to place emphasis on certain areas of the body, giving support where needed as well as taking it away. It also utilizes a cage with bungees, belts, and sandbag weights that gives support and works on building muscle. As someone who cannot fully explain TheraSuit, I recommend visiting TheraSuit Method to learn more. I am also going to take a video of Ashley working so that y'all can see for your very own eyes just how it works.

We are also pleased to announce the arrival of our brand new building sign!!!!

Isn't it beautiful?!?! Yesterday while Conductive Education, TheraSuit, and regular therapies were going on, two massive trucks pulled up with a HUGE trailer. We were so confused, not sure exactly what was going on.

Suddenly, it clicked as Dawn and I both jumped up in excitement: OUR SIGN WAS HERE!! And just in time, too. Now, we can officially be found as people make their way down Covenant Road! It's amazing just how big of a difference a sign can make.

A huge thank you goes out to Flagship Signs who provided this beautiful mark upon our building, and helping to further complete this amazing organization. It was hot, and it was humid, and yes, the wind did blow the sign everywhere (making it very difficult), but it is up and WE ARE HERE!!

Whew, TheraSuit, Conductive Education, a new sign, and miracles which happen every day; it's a wonder we are not absolutely exhausted! How could we be? We are witnesses to a plan unfolding; a plan that is so awesome and amazing, bringing new surprises and joys each day.

Hey, y'all try to be good while I dig up some more interesting stuff to give you. And if you get the chance, swing by to take a look at our brand new sign. It's pretty cool :)



Miracles Happen Every Day

My, oh my, we have been very busy here at The Therapy Place. Everyone is getting excited for all of the new goings-on that are about to take place such as the anticipation of our new building sign (HOORAY!), all of the new children coming in for Conductive Education next week, AND the delivery of the TheraSuit cage! So much has been happening, and I feel like there just isn't enough time in the day to tell y'all all about it.

We'll start with the main reason for this post today. First, I would like to apologize for how late it is; I meant to post it over the weekend when it was fresh, but hey, better late than never. Last Friday, a miracle took place here. Now, don't get me wrong, miracles take place here every single day. However, this blessing that took place Friday morning reminded me that God has a plan, and that whenever a door shuts, He opens up a window.

Here at The Therapy Place, our therapists see a little boy by the name of Jacob who has been in need of a Rifton Gait Trainer for quite some time now. We have one here, but Jacob also needs one at home for when he is not here. After several weeks of being told that insurance will not help with the payment of the gait trainer, and Jacob's parents realizing that they will have to pay for the equipment with their own money, there seemed to be very little hope.

Last Friday everyone was busy in meetings, Conductive Education, their own busy work, when a friend of Susan's (Susan is the co-founder of this wonderful organization) stopped by to drop off some items belonging to her daughter. Because her daughter has grown out of these items, she decided to donate them to The Therapy Place in the hopes that we could put them to good use. There among the items was a Rifton Gait Trainer, the exact size needed for Jacob. The gait trainer was even the same color we were looking at ordering for him. Amazing, right? The story does not end there, ladies and gentlemen. No, it only gets better.

Jacob is seen twice a week for physical therapy, Friday being one of those days. When Susan's friend came to drop off the items, what she did not realize was that little Jacob would be arriving with his mom, sister, and brother in 30 minutes for therapy. I wish everyone could have seen the face of the mother who gave such a wonderful gift to a little boy in need, the faces of each of us watching this miracle take place, and the face of Jacob's mother when we showed her what Jacob was going to take home that day.

I have added a video of darling Jacob using his new Rifton Gait Trainer. I feel so blessed to be a witness to this awesome miracle, and the many miracles I watch take place here every day.

First things first: how about them GAMECOCKS!!! My apologies to those who for some unknown reason dislike the Gamecocks. Ah, it was beautiful last night, and all of our boys had a spectacular performance!

Now, on to the local news. Conductive Education is continuing smoothly as we move on through the second week of it. Every single one of the children are benefitting from the work Krisztina and the aides are doing, and I can only stand in awe at the miracles happening before my eyes. We are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to offer this program year-round, and even more blessed to have such wonderful conductors and aides.

As Dawn mentioned in the comments on the last post, we are in business for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. In just the past few months, our productivity has skyrocketed, and we find ourselves thinking to when we will have to expand. What a thought! You tell me, what business is looking to expansion after just five months of being opened? And I do not mean out of want, but out of need. How awesome of a need is that! Just yesterday, one of the little boys who comes here for physical therapy progressed tremendously in only one session. Take a look at the video of this adorable little boy, Ethan.

How sweet is that! Moments such as this take place here every day, one way or another, touching our hearts, and motivating us to continue what we do. At The Therapy Place we have an awesome team of therapists who are treating the children coming to see us every day. You can see in their eyes and actions just how much they love working with the kids and how much they love their jobs.

Dawn also brought another point about TheraSuit. Beginning in July, The Therapy Place will be offering a program called TheraSuit which works to improve the ballance, coordination and fine motor skills of the individual being treated. From what I have heard and read, it truly has an amazing outcome for any and all who go through it. Designed for those with neurological and sensory disorders,The TheraSuit Method has been proven to help support weak muscles, improve hip alignment, decrease uncontrolled movements, and so much more. Last week our physical therapist Lisa spent an entire week in Michigan where she was trained in the TheraSuit Method. She returned with a newfound love and devotion to the TheraSuit Method, as well as a new perspective on therapy as a whole. What a wonderful feeling that must be, and to have the opportunity to share it with those who need it, one can only imagine what she is feeling. All in all, we are extremely excited to offer it. If you want to know more about it, follow the link http://www.suittherapy.com/ , or check us out on our website http://www.thetherapyplace.org to read about it.

Announcements:

• Juliet, our occupational therapist, has a baby activity mat with music and lights, as well as a baby bath tub, that she is giving away. If anyone is interested, give us a call at the office or send us a message on facebook.

Before we go, here are a few more pictures to enjoy:

Back in Business

Whew! It has been such a long time since any of us have been on this thing! My most sincere apologies go out to each of you.

Well, we have just begun Conductive Education 2011, and everyone here at The Therapy Place is excited that it is finally here! And the best part of it? Kristina is here to stay! That means that Conductive Ed is going to be offered year-round. I am hoping to post more information on the schedule and how everything is going to work out, but for now, everyone can simply log on to http://www.thetherapyplace.org to find more information on Conductive Ed.

So allow me to introduce myself: my name is Brooke, and I will be your author, informer, entertainer, blogger, photographer, videographer, and possibly much more. Dawn and Susan hired me back in May, and we are just now getting back in to the routine of blogging. Honestly, it really is a difficult thing to keep up with; I've tried it before. In a nutshell, I love the children who come here for therapy, and if I can share with y'all even a glimpse of the blessings, miracles, and and overall awesomeness that happens here, your hearts will be touched forever.

Like I mentioned, Conductive Education has begun, and already we are seeing huge transformations. One of our boys stood for 15 seconds yesterday, after standing for only 8 the day before! The work these children are putting in to the activities is tremendous, and I can only stand in awe at their strength and perseverance. I hope that I can document accurately and effectively the journey of every child who steps through our doors, and somehow convey to you, our readers, the wonderful things taking place within these walls. Keep checking to see what new things are taking place at The Therapy Place.

I know this is a short blog, but I thought I might as well introduce myself and let you know that yes, we are back and we are here to stay. So for now, have a wonderful afternoon, and I'll talk to ya when I talk to ya.