The Journey of Care can begin as early as birth. That was the case for baby Aliyah, who received a life-changing referral to Beyond Blindness from her NICU doctors.
Diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth, Aliyah’s first few days were terrifying for her family. An MRI showed mild to moderate brain damage due to lack of oxygen, and her parents were informed that Aliyah may never speak or even recognize loved ones.
But her NICU caregivers believed that with early intervention, Aliyah could learn to make sense of her world and build a foundation for the future. They referred her to Beyond Blindness, where the family was introduced to Early Intervention Specialist Bridgette. During in-home therapy sessions, Bridgette utilized every minute to show Aliyah new skills like sitting, planting her feet, reaching for objects, or opening her hands to play with toys.
Six months into therapy, Aliyah is learning to compensate for left-side weakness and is rolling over in both directions, playing with both hands and pivoting using both arms. The whole family feels more confident about what their youngest can accomplish in the future.
“It was obvious that Bridgette really cared about Aliyah’s progress and that made a big difference,” says her mom, Angelica. “I really, truly believe that Aliyah would not be where she is today without early intervention through Beyond Blindness.”
