Physical therapy
Meet the 2016 Ambassadors: Sophia Clay
February 29, 2016Sophia Clay
Age: She turns 5 on March 28
Diagnosis: Cerebral palsy
Parents: Kelly and Adam Clay of Manheim Township
Siblings: None
Favorite activities: Playing with her toys, going to the beach, watching movies on her iPad, riding her bike around the neighborhood and seeing plays at local theaters.
Favorite foods: Pizza and ice cream
What she watches and listens to: Disney movies, “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First,” princess movies
Three words to describe her: Happy, outgoing and determined
What else to know about Sophia: She has a black lab named Dallas.
***
Sophia Clay and her mother, Kelly, attended a Schreiber board meeting late in 2015, and Sophia charmed the room with her smile and her spirit. Sophia’s cerebral palsy means she uses a wheel chair for a lot of her day. Her therapy at Schreiber is intended to help her be out of the chair more. “She’s working to become stronger in all areas of her life,” Kelly says. “She practices with a gait trainer so she can stand on her own. She works on sitting up without assistance. She practices her fine motor skill, her articulation and eating on her own.”
It’s the articulation — how clearly she speaks — where Sophia has shown the biggest progress, her mom says.
“Sophia’s language has come a long way,” Kelly says. “When she started, she could only say a few things. Now, she can say 10-word sentences.”
And that’s just the beginning. With her determination, she will be ready to make speeches in her class when she starts school.
Bike path project gets green light
February 22, 2016That green light means the Center can move forward with plans to build the bike path on the Schreiber campus along Good Drive. Schreiber raised more than $75,000 for the project through fundraising and in-kind contributions, enough to cover the construction costs and to create a fund for ongoing maintenance costs. The largest piece of the fundraising came from the Stabler Foundation, which provided a $60,000 gift.
We’d also like to acknowledge the generous support of the staff at two local companies. Todd Vaughn, senior project manager at David Miller/Associates, a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm, and Paul Nikolaus, an architect with RLPS Architects, spent countless hours drafting and revising plans as they navigated the municipal approval process — and neither firm has charged us one dollar.
The bike path will represent an important upgrade to our facility and to the resources for our Therapy Department. For years, kids have had to ride bikes through Schreiber’s hallways or in a small corner of our parking lot — hardly ideal.
That all changes this year. We will be able to break ground in the spring and complete construction by the summer.
We can’t wait.
Jedi training coming to Schreiber
January 8, 2016
How did Star Wars Week at Schreiber come to be?
Go here for a surprise.
“One of the biggest things Luke Skywalker had to do to be a Jedi,” Bernie says, “was to learn to control his reactions to frustration that would make him upset and angry activate the Dark Side. So we will be using that hook with many of the clients who are learning to conquer new daily routines that are hard, like tying shoes.”
That’s just the start of what Star Wars Week at Schreiber will offer.
“Jedi knights have to learn balance and core strengthening activities, so we will have the Jedi Training obstacle course,” Bernie says.
“Jedi knights learn how to use their abilities to positively sway others, we will be practicing social skills.
“Jedi knights learn other languages. We will have some select Yoda and Darth Vader expressions for the children to listen to and imitate.
“Of course there will be Storm Troopers to target, and we will be using our powers of observation and visual scanning as well to be aware of hidden dangers.”
The entire center will be turned into a Jedi Training Center to help celebrate Schreiber Pediatric’s 80th anniversary year this year. The multipurpose room will be the main area decorated in the Intergalactic mode, but already Speech Therapists have their lighting up and Physical Therapists have begun their decorations.
Update: Some folks from the Central Pennsylvania Avengers will be on hand Thursday afternoon, Jan. 28. Jason Johnson is director and founder of the group, which consists of adult hobbyists who dress up in superhero costumes and do appearances to entertain. Their motto is: “We came, we saw, we made smiles.” Expect to see a Kylo Ren, a Rey and a Darth Vader (non-scary variety) roaming the halls of Schreiber that day.
In the big picture, some big steps forward
December 29, 2015We have a better building. We obtained several substantial donations, including grants from the Stabler and High foundations, that allowed us to replace our aged HVAC system. We also replaced the plumbing, carpeting and repainted throughout the public areas. We managed this without having to spend one dollar from our operating funds.
We have better technology. After raising more than $85,000 in dedicated funds, we were able to completely overhaul our IT infrastructure. We replaced two aging, overloaded servers with two new servers. We updated our billing and scheduling software for the first time in 12 years, and we purchased new accounting software for the Finance Office.
We raised the bar on fundraising: One of the four main goals of the Schreiber Strategic Plan passed by the Board in September 2014 was to raise $1 million net on annual basis within three years. We reached our goal after one year through increases across all areas of Financial Development. We had the largest fundraiser in Schreiber’s history when our annual Phonathon, which only began three years ago, brought in more than $180,000.
We also hired staff in all therapy departments to keep pace with increased demand, and our rebranded daycare is filled to capacity. But here’s the most important thing to remember: Thanks to your continued partnership and support, we will continue to provide the life-changing services that are so needed within our community. We look forward to sharing more successes as we celebrate our 80th anniversary in 2016.
James DeBord is president of Schreiber Pediatric. Jon Hill is chairman of the board of directors.
A dad’s story: One family’s long road to recovery
November 11, 2015That is one thing that has always frustrated me: being out there trying to figure out the road ourselves.
We are a family of four. Erin and I have been married for 27 years. We have two children, Jason (18) and Kiana (21). Kiana suffered her TBI in a car accident on Aug. 27, 2005. She and Erin were on their way to school for a basketball open gym when another car slammed into theirs broadside. The force of the impact shattered Kiana’s face from her eyes up. She was 11 years old.
That day turned all of our lives upside down. Jason, who was a happy kid in third grade at the time, had to stay with multiple friends and family as we spent time with Kiana at Hershey Medical Center. Kiana was a good student and a successful athlete. She played both softball and basketball and competed in horse-riding competitions. But she has spent the past 10 years trying to work her way back, a struggle that still goes on and, of course, has its ups and downs.
Kiana had to relearn everything. In her 84 days in Hershey, she went the full spectrum from not being supposed to survive to coming home right before Thanksgiving and her birthday, then going to Schrieber Pediatric for physical, speech and occupational therapy.
We are 10 years into this journey, and, yes, there were and are some really tall hurdles to get over for all of us. But God has been so good to us. Kiana continues to improve and fight to get back what was lost.
If you’d like to check out more information on her journey, please feel free to check out her story on CarePages.com (registration required), an online community for visitors to share the challenges, hopes and triumphs of anyone facing a life-changing health event. We started this page only a few days after her accident and have continued it to this day.
We have learned many things along the way, and I have a few topics in mind for future blog posts, including:
- Living with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury
- Navigating the school system when you have a child with a physical and mental challenge
- Advice for parents whose kids are transitioning to adulthood
Troy Brown and his family live in Gap.
The best things in life are dirty
July 15, 2015The Schreiber courtyard was formed when an addition to the building was built back in 2006. At that time, the courtyard was little more than concrete and a drain. Under the guidance of Recreation Therapist Lisa Gilbert and with help from volunteer Don Grayson, we built a few raised beds for strawberries and flowers.
In the 10 years since, we have added more containers for grapes, rasberries and blackberries, along with some wind chimes and wind-blown decorations. Kids can paint the containers in bright colors. A gift from Edna’s Angels, our women’s giving circle, allowed us to add slate blackboards and large chimes for the kids to play.
The kids completed a unit this spring on planting and caring for seeds. The seeds and peat pots were generously donated by KimRik Garden Center, Willow Street. The kids transplanted the seedlings into the courtyard containers with their identifying popsicle sticks to foster engagement and ownership. The children have been able to check on their plants, and we’ve had some kids harvest some of their plantings. For many, this will be the first time they pick a vegetable and taste it!
For some of our Schreiber kids, this has been their first time to touch dirt. As part of her occupational therapy session, Kiera K. was positioned so that she could stand and shovel dirt into the peat pot for the seeds. Kiera is just beginning to learn to use a spoon because all of her life so far she has been fed through a stomach tube. Kiera’s parents were amazed at how much she enjoyed touching the dirt!
With all the intensive medical care she has required in her 7 years, her mother said, “I never thought to let her play in dirt!”
In fact, gardening with children not only yields flowers, fruits and vegetables; the children are part of the growth, too!
There’s plenty of evidence to support gardening as a valuable therapy strategy. At Schreiber, we use gardening as part of our normal treatment plans. From our experience, children are more willing to taste or sample vegetables and fruits they have helped raise. There are many reasons, both medical and psychological, for children to develop food aversions. Once those food aversions have become entrenched they are difficult to change. Gardening is one strategy used in desensitizing a child to try a non-preferred food such as vegetables.
We plant varieties (usually heirloom varieties), of vegetables, fruits and herbs to provide our clients a multisensory experience when they enter the garden. We include the typical (chives, parsley, onions, thyme,) to the unusual (a plant that smells like buttered popcorn).
We incorporate other activities into these courtyard sessions: writing on the chalkboard; carrying a watering can, squeezing a sponge, all of which provide sensory benefits.
Because of their children’s experiences in the courtyard garden, more Schreiber families are planting flowers and vegetables at home in their gardens or in containers. They are incorporating into their daily lives the lesson they learned here.
And they are finding out that, yes, the best things in life really are dirty.
Bernie Hershey is an occupational therapist at Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center in Lancaster, Pa. She has been helping kids slide on scooters, balance on balls and climb on ropes for more than 30 years, all in the name of helping improve the quality of their lives.
No, really. Thank you
July 6, 2015Dear Mr. DeBord,
On August 4, 1955, our second child was born in Lancaster General Hospital. A little girl, she weighedijn at 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and was healthy. However, by the one month check-up, our doctor had some questions about her neck and hip, and he sent us to see Dr. Goodman, an orthopedic physician in Lancaster.
Dr. Goodman diagnosed a congenital dislocation of the left hip, early club foot, and a wry neck. She was to wear a bar 24 hours a day to separate her legs and straighten her legs while her body grew a hip. He assured us that with lots of therapy our little (daughter’s name withheld for privacy) would be normal. He explained that help was available at the Crippled Children’s Society, which was then in Rossmere, and referred us to Miss (Edna) Schreiber. That was the beginning of our daughter’s healing.
We did her exercises daily, and a neighbor came up to help me to hold her down on the table while I gently pulled her neck and twisted the muscles. Miss Schreiber’s assuring words, “Do this religiously, and she will get better,” were the commands that carried us on as (the daughter) began to improve. Miss Schreiber saw us regularly, and we do not remember ever being charged for the service.
Our daughter was a competitive swimmer in her teens, and is now a registered pharmacist working in Lancaster. She lives in Lancaster with her husband. They have two children and one grandson. She has been able to live a normal life and seems free of any complications of the hip.
We have tried to support the Society’s fundraising campaigns, because we have been extremely thankful for all you did for us then. The news in today’s Lancaster paper caused us to think how we were aided then and how you continue to help people. We want to help now. Our check for $1,000 is enclosed.
Here’s another one, sent in just last month.
To everyone at Schreiber,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This note is a long time coming, but very well owed.
Our only child, (name withheld for privacy), who is now almost 17, was born 61/2 weeks early back in 1998. She weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces, came home from the NICU at 11 days old at exactly 4 pounds, and started with Early Intervention the next day or so.
When she turned 1 is when Schreiber took over. If Mari Cunningham is still with Schreiber, please let her know that we truly do appreciate and will never forget what she did for us as far as helping our daughter. Today, she is a beautiful, healthy young lady getting ready to start her senior year of high school. She’s an A-B student who makes the honor roll every marking period. She plays tennis, does track, plays softball, plays lacrosse and loves every minute of it.
So, again, we say thank you to all of the therapists for doing what they do every day. It truly does make a difference. Thank you to everyone else at Schreiber as well. We wish we could give more, but, unfortunately, right now that’s not possible. Some day it will be though, at least we hope.
Thanks so much again, and keep up the good work!
And sometimes, the notes are shorter. We received this one in June after Schreiber President James DeBord visited Schaffer Elementary School to accept the money raised by students in Laurie Fellenbaum’s second-grade class.
Thank you! Schreiber is COOL!
So to those second graders, to the proud parents of a teenager, and to the folks we helped 60 years ago who all find it in their hearts to remember us and support us, we can only say:
No, really. Thank you.
Skipping like the wind
June 2, 2015The condition affects the left side of Remy’s body, and she wears a brace on her left leg to prevent her achilles tendon from tightening, said Schreiber physical therapist Diane Weis.
Heather Colosi, Remy’s mom, had been taking Remy to a traditional physical therapist — one who treats mostly adults — with little to show for it.
“We went for a year and didn’t see any progress,” Heather says. “Finally, I got fed up.”
They started at Schreiber in August, and Heather could see a difference immediately.
“The other place wasn’t focused on children,” she says. “Here, they have the bright colors and the toys and games. It makes it more enjoyable.”
And Remy’s mobility improved, too. But Mom thought Remy would benefit from a little extra motivation. When she saw the Fulton Theatre would be presenting “The Wizard of Oz” this summer, she talked with Remy about trying out.
“My mom asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said, ‘Yeah,'” Remy says.
To be a Munchkin, though, Remy had to learn to skip. And as her therapist says: “Skipping was not in her wheelhouse.”
Diane’s work with Remy has focused on strengthening Remy’s left leg and improving her one-foot balance. Remy has gradually learned to step up on increasingly higher steps. She does a lot of climbing.
Skipping required a little extra work. Diane added some new strengthening and stretching, and she walked Remy through the step-hop pattern. And Remy practiced skipping. Over and over and over. One week before her audition in May, she had it down.
“When she finally got it, she was so excited,” Heather says. “You could see the lightbulb go off. She said, ‘I got it. I understand it. I can do it.'”
On Thursday, she will put her new skipping skills to work — for opening night at the Fulton. If you see a Munchkin with a little extra determination in her eye and a little more joy in her step, that’s probably Remy, following a Yellow Brick Road to her own version of Oz.
My Story, Joanne Martin: Why I love Schreiber
June 1, 2015They have been truly instrumental in his progress over these nine years. We would not be where we are today if Schreiber wasn’t part of our lives. They do change lives. Schreiber provides cccupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy to more than 4,000 children annually who have special needs. Chris’ therapists have been amazing at helping him learn to tie his shoes or write with a pencil. All of these tasks are easy for most of us but not for many of the children being served by Schreiber. They are dedicated to helping children.
On a recent Friday at Schreiber, I watched Chris draw a perfect dog on an art wall at the center. They know how to motivate Chris to do difficult tasks. We are truly blessed by Schreiber.
The Martin family was blessed to begin receiving services at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD) for Chris to help him with social skills and how to handle social situations at school and home. This has been an amazing organization for Chris when it comes to learning appropriate things to say and not to say. We have a long road ahead of us, but Chris talks weekly with other kids who struggle with social skills and he LOVES going. This social skills class is facilitated by his amazing child therapist, Colette. She helps direct the group, teaching the boys in the group how to behave, react, even engage in things as simple as a game of Lego’s.
She also works with Chris one on one to help with things that Chris struggles with, like how to show frustration or anger. This program is really amazing because they are a full-service support center for children and adults with autism. We are blessed with CADD because as Chris grows, the services and programs they provide will grow with him. That is very RARE!
Last year, with your help, the Martin Family raised $3,000 for Schreiber. Can you help us again? Would you help us support Schreiber, CADD or both?
We need your help! If you want to contribute, you can mail a check to me payable to Schreiber Pediatrics or CADD. Any amount can help. Put “Chris Martin Fundraiser” in the memo section.
If that is too much and you want a faster way – you can log on to this link – http://www.schreiberpediatric.org/donate/ – and make sure you note “pledges for Chris Martin for Softball” in the Dedication section. It would help if you let me know that you gave so I can make sure it is counted for Chris’ game.
Or you can go to https://www.philhaven.org/ProgramsandServices/CenterforAutismandDevelopmentalDisabilities.aspx
and make your donation to Pilhaven. Please make sure that in the note section that it states this is for Chris Martin’s fundraising project for CADD.
We appreciate any support you can provide. These two organizations have made a huge improvement in Chris’ life and ours, and we are just one family; they both serve thousands of families in the same situation. Check out both organizations to learn more and spread the word about them.
The Martin family thanks you!
***
Schreiber’s 33rd Annual Softball Weekend starts Friday, June 5, and runs through Sunday at Froelich Park in Mountville. Registration deadline for Marathon Play is Thursday, June 4, and there are a few slots left (register online here). Thanks to our presenting sponsors Fraternal Order of Police Red Rose Lodge #16 and Lancaster Toyota. This year’s other sponsors include Abram Subcontracting, E&E Metal Fab. Inc. and Integrity Pools and Spas, with FM97 our exclusive media sponsor for the weekend. And special thanks to our other supporting businesses: B&T Sportswear, Manheim Sertoma, Crystal Springs, Family Owned Markets, Gayle Kline RV Center Inc., Herr Foods Inc., Kunzler & Company Inc., Pepperidge Farm, Pepsi Beverages, Turkey Hill Dairy, Weis Markets and Y&S Candies.
My Story: Jana Kuhns
May 19, 2015The night of the accident I was taken to Lancaster General Hospital then transferred to Hershey Medical Center right away because Lancaster General doesn’t accept trauma pediatric patients. I was in Hershey’s pediatric intensive care unit for 18 days with many differnt injuries, including a severe brain injury. Then spent 3 months and 3 days in the Lancaster Rehab Hospital.
I am told I had a breathing tube and a brain probe, and they also had me on life support at Hershey. But I don’t remember any of that.
The day of Jennie’s viewing they removed my breathing tube.
I don’t remember the first two months, but I remember the big events. My nurses, techs and therapists sang “You are my sunshine.” I remember being sung to, but I don’t remember when.
I had no physical abilities because my left side was stiff, and my right side was curled. But now my left side is my good side, my right side doesn’t work. I also had a fractured jaw and pelvis, but I don’t remember any pain. I am told I had a feeding tube as well. I wasn’t responsive in Hershey or when I first came to the rehab hospital.
***
She started coming to Schreiber for therapy in July, about four months after the crash. She comes three times a week: for physical therapy (each visit), occupational therapy (twice a week) and speech therapy (once a week).
The physical therapy is the most arduous. PTs Laurie Miller and Lisa Stachler Volk are working to restore strength and range of motion to Jana’s right arm and leg. For the ankle and foot, Lisa and Laurie are using a therapy technique called serial casting. Because of the brain injury, Jana’s foot became locked in a flexed position. The muscles were stuck.
With serial casting, Jana’s doctor injected the muscles in her lower leg and foot with Botox to temporarily shut down and relax the muscles. Then Laurie and Lisa put her foot and ankle in a series of casts that will gradually allow her foot to be moved back toward the correct position. Each week, they take the old cast off, adjust the ankle position and put a new cast on. Each week is a little more progress toward normal.
***
I hate it when Lisa and Laurie put a cast on my leg and ask me not to talk, but I know what they’re doing is going to help me in the long run. Also, I love asking almost everyone to sign my cast, and I understand why they’re asking me, so that helps me to stand it.
I love it when Laurie does the exercise that helps me hold my shoulder back when I’m walking, because I just lay on the table and roll this way and that. I love it when Lisa has me do wall pushups because that’s making my left arm stronger. I love it when Isaak (Schreiber OT Isaak Ross) has me cooking because I’m doing something that will help me at home.
***
Jana’s mother RoseAnn didn’t know exactly what to expect when she started bringing Jana to Schreiber. She saw the progress in the first four months – learning to talk and walk again – and thought she had come a long way pretty quickly.
“I think I thought she’d get back to normal,” she says. “The more I learn about brain injuries, the more I know that ‘normal’ might take a long time, if ever. Jana has a new normal.”
The new Jana is a chatty, cheerful teenager who teases her therapists while taking some teasing from her little sister Jenessa. The new Jana shows no signs of any woe-is-me wallowing. The new Jana is a smart girl with lots of support from her family, her faith and her friends at Schreiber.