Ambassadors

Sienna Matthews

Age: 4
School: Circle of Friends Academy Daycare
Parents: Ashley Shank and Cord Matthews, Lititz
Favorite foods: spaghetti and pizza
Favorite activities: therapeutic riding, dancing and playing with Play-Doh

SiSi has been coming to Schreiber since she was 18 months old. Her mom Ashley says SiSi was diagnosed with symptoms related to cerebellar ataxia syndrome. People with this diagnosis might show several of a broad array of symptoms, all of which are tied to abnormalities in the cerebellum, an area of the brain generally associated with motor skills. SiSi came to Schreiber to improve her balance and coordination, her leg and core strength, the clarity of her speech and her hand-eye coordination.

To work on all that, SiSi receives physical, occupational and speech therapy. Ashley says SiSi couldn’t walk when she started at Schreiber.

“Now, she can run, something we’d never thought would do,” she says.

In addition to therapy, SiSi attends the Circle of Friends Academy early learning center, attended by kids with challenges and their typically developing peers.

Through it all, SiSi keeps improving.

“I am so thankful for the Schreiber Pediatric community, and so is (SiSi),” Ashley says. “She loves going to Schreiber every day. I know the best choice I ever made for my child was sending her to Schreiber.”

Anthony I. Melendez

Age: 4
School: Preschool at Schreiber Pediatric
Parents: Jennifer L. Melendez, Lancaster, and Peter I. Melendez (deceased)
Favorite activities: He loves to color, practice writing his letter — anything that has to do with colors, shapes and letters.
What he watches: “Kipper the Dog,” “Pocoyo,” “Finding Nemo.”

Anthony Melendez has had a pretty tough time in his 4-1/2 years. He was born with several serious medical issues. He is still battling a hearing loss in one ear, a feeding disorder, low muscle tone and chronic lung disease. And he has speech and language delays.

On top of that, the family lost Anthony’s dad Peter following a terminal illness when Anthony was 3.

Anthony doesn’t let any of that stop him from being at therapy twice a week. He works on sounding out words. He works on strengthening his core and learning to hold a pencil correctly or use scissors.

And he has a ways to go to overcome his food aversion; he still has a gastronomy tube to make sure he’s getting the nutrients he needs.

“Anthony has come so far and continues to amaze me,” his mom Jennifer says. “His vocabulary is so much better. He has much more confidence in himself. He is running around with his friends and jumping on the bed like a typical 4-year-old.”

He certainly ran around like a typical 4-year-old during the photo shoot here, and he was a little wiggly for the photographer. It didn’t faze Jennifer, who has certainly had far worse to handle during the past few years.

“I have no doubt that he can accomplish anything and everything he wants,” she says.

Alexander Johanning

Age: 8
Grade and school: 2nd grade, Lampeter Elementary
Parents: Lisa and Tim Johanning, Lancaster
What he watches: “Sophia the First,” “Beauty and the Beast”
When he grows up he wants to: Be an actor.

Alex was born with Down syndrome, a genetic chromasomal disorder that causes intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. He started coming to Schreiber at a young age, and he receives occupational and speech therapy to help him speak more clearly (he loves to talk) and to improve his physical strength and stamina. He’s also working on some of his fine motor skills.
His parents provided a list of goals and strategies – four pages worth – that they wanted Alex to aim for in 2014. They also keep him busy with Cub Scouts and acting classes at the Fulton Theatre.
OT Kim Martin and speech therapist Abby Zell noticed the parental support.
His family has always had high aspirations and goals for him, and they see Alex being successful in his various activities.
“He is also an example of how his hard work is paying off,” they wrote.

Emily Nicole Graver

Age: 12
Grade and school: 7th grade, Marticville Middle School
Parents: Tim and Kerry Graver, Holtwood
What she watches and listens to: “Duck Dynasty,” “Sponge Bob,” “The Croods” and Taylor Swift
When she grows up she wants to: Be a veteranarian.

Emily started coming to Schreiber after surgery in December 2012 to remove part of her brain. “The left side of my brain,” she wrote in her paperwork. “To control my seizures.”
Doctors and therapists call this a hemispherectomy, and it was done to treat Rasmussen’s syndrome, an inflammation of the brain that causes uncontrollable seizures. With part of the left side of her brain gone, Emily had to regain the use of her right arm, hand and leg. She had to learn to walk and talk again.
And she’s doing it.
She can walk without a walker or a cane. She can go up and down stairs – “sometimes without holding onto the rail,” she wrote. She can speak more clearly.
Her parents, Tim and Kerry, describe her as outgoing, caring and kind. And, they said, she still gets excited about coming to therapy.
“Emily is a walking, talking miracle,” wrote Laurie Miller, her Schreiber physical therapist, in her nomination form. “After being told she would never would walk again, Emily decided she was going to prove everybody wrong. She is a very spunky, hard-working and persistent kiddo who has found a way to overcome every challenge. She loves to sing and perform and has a wonderful and inspirational zest for life. We have fun every week, and it has been a blessing to watch Emily progress from using a walker to doing ‘high knees’ in the pool. She demonstrates what we strive to do here at Schreiber every day – ‘turn disabilities into abilities.'”