Easterseals provides a ‘village’ for young mother of child with Down syndrome
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WHEELING -- Kylee Weekly of Moundsville felt scared and alone after her daughter Blakely was born with Down syndrome. Blakely was physically healthy but by age 3 was struggling to communicate and had emotional outbursts that were challenging for Weekly, a young single mom.
Then another parent recommended speech therapy at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center. Blakely's primary care provider, Amanda Mosman, referred her, and within a week Easterseals called to schedule an appointment.
Weekly told guests at the Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal Vendor Invitational dinner at Oglebay Resort Thursday night that since starting speech therapy at Easterseals two years ago, Blakely has gone from having about 20 words to over 200. Her anxiety has lessened, her communication has improved, and she has fewer outbursts.
Not only has Easterseals helped Blakely, but it also has provided Weekly with emotional and practical support and helped her feel less alone.
"It has been such a huge help. I never really experienced having a village, like people would call it, or a community that just 'gets me' and my kid. ... It just feels like a safe space where I'm not the only one wanting the best for my child. Every person in the building also wants the best for her," she said during an interview before Thursday's dinner.
The dinner tees off a weekend of golf events organized by Kalkreuth at Oglebay. This is the 11th year Kalkreuth has sponsored the events, which include the dinner Thursday and Vendor Invitational scramble Friday followed by the Kalkreuth Amateur Golf Championship at Oglebay's Trent Jones and Arnold Palmer championship courses on Saturday and Sunday. Co-title sponsors are ABC Supply Co., Johns Manville, and Carlisle Construction.
Each year, Kalkreuth donates event proceeds to Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Wheeling, whose nonprofit mission is to create life-changing solutions for children with developmental delays and disabilities in the Ohio Valley. The center offers outpatient speech, physical, and occupational therapies, medical services, and autism testing for children and never turns anyone away for inability to pay.
Over the years, Kalkreuth has donated over $450,000 to Easterseals. On Thursday, they added more than $70,000 to that total.
"We are proud to continue our longstanding support of Easterseals and the incredible work they do. The Kalkreuth Amateur Golf Event is a testament to the generosity of our community supporters and industry sponsors, whose continued commitment makes this event--and its impact--possible. We're grateful for the partnerships year after year that allow us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those Easterseals serves," Kalkreuth President and CEO James Hurley said.
"Kalkreuth, its partners, and everyone involved with the annual golf weekend are heroes to our clients and their families. Their generous support allows us to provide high quality, life-changing therapies to children like Blakely, year after year. We applaud Mr. Hurley and his team; Oglebay; and all the vendors, sponsors and golfers who make this event possible," Betsy Bethel-McFarland, Easterseals marketing and development director, said.
Weekly said her biggest challenge now is with people making assumptions about her daughter and leaving Blakely out in social situations.
"She tries her best to play and fit in with other kids, and it's heartbreaking to see some turn their heads and never give it a second thought." She said she wishes people would ask her questions and engage with Blakely instead of ignoring her.
She said Easterseals has given her and Blakely tools that will help them in their next chapter. They are moving to Georgia where Blakely will attend a school for children with Down syndrome.
"There's nothing greater than being Blakely's mom," Weekly said. "Her smile is infectious. She teaches me something new every single day. I honestly feel I was blessed with the most perfect child, and that's exactly what I needed in my life."