September  2001

Helping a Mother Learn
And A Daughter Develop

MacKinze sits down at a table to eat with other kids her age. She used to have difficulty feeding herself, but the special spoon and uniquely balanced bowl somehow make it easy. She then walks over to a toy in the middle of the floor, kneels down, picks it up and stands again. Simple acts for most four-year-olds, but to Chestine, MacKinze’s mom, they represent her daughter’s many triumphant achievements.

MacKinze was born with Cerebral Palsy and, at that time, Chestine didn’t know how to handle her daughter’s challenging needs. Trying to provide the constant care necessary for MacKinze and still raise her other children became too difficult for Chestine. The situation was relieved with the help of Rainbows United, Inc., a United Way-funded agency.

Teaching Mom to Care

"I knew right away that MacKinze and I both needed help," says Chestine. "MacKinze needed special therapy and I needed to know how to care for her... I didn’t want to hold her back or stand in her way developmentally."

When MacKinze was 5 months old, Rainbows began providing home-based care two times a week. MacKinze was having difficulty learning basic motor skills and eating. The home-based care not only helped MacKinze develop in a surrounding that was familiar and supportive, but it also helped Chestine learn the best way to feed and care for her.

Providing the Best Solution

By the time MacKinze was 18 months, Chestine saw significant progress in MacKinze. Needing to work to provide for her family, Chestine discontinued the home care and took MacKinze to a day care. She immediately noticed a drastic change.

"MacKinze wasn’t receiving the close one-on-one interaction that she had been, she wasn’t being watched very well and she wasn’t really developing any more," says Chestine.

MacKinze needed professional services but Chestine couldn’t miss work to take her every day. Rainbows’ child-care program along with their therapeutic child-care services allowed MacKinze to get the special care she needed while staying at one location all day long.

Helping a Little Girl Grow Up

"MacKinze is a totally different child today than when she first came back to us," says Rhonda Moore, certified physical therapist assistant at Rainbows United. "From sitting double-fisted and crying almost the entire day to playfully interacting with the other children and eating by herself with special utensils, MacKinze has grown so much."

"I don’t think MacKinze would be very far developed without this service," says Chestine. "It has not only helped MacKinze tremendously, but our whole family. It’s helped me understand and relate better to my daughter’s needs."

Call United Way of the Plains at 267-1321 to find out more about how your money is helping our community.

United Way-Funded Programs That Care

United Way of the Plains is committed to focusing on the issues that the community cares about most.

Rainbows United, Inc. provides center-based and home-based services for young children with special needs. With individual educational and early therapeutic interventions, children with or at risk for disabilities receive supportive services that improve the lives of their entire family.

Rainbows United is one of the many United Way-funded programs that meet multiple needs in our community.