"Up" has more meanings than any other two-letter word in the English language – but for Dalilah’s family, the meaning is even greater. Dalilah’s ability to vocalize this new vocabulary word empowered her to express her wants, and to sing along to The Wheels on the Bus. For her mom, Maria, it marked one of the most joyful moments of the past two years.
Dalilah is one of the millions of toddlers whose early social and physical development has been impacted by the pandemic. But her first two years also included eight surgeries, hundreds of hours of therapy and even a COVID-19 diagnosis.
A rare genetic condition affects Dalilah’s mobility, facial features, hearing, vision, feeding and speech. When the need for occupational, speech and nutrition therapies was identified, her parents put their trust in a full team from Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. A combination of tele-therapy and in-person services helped her make critical gains at a critical time.
This year we’ve provided free screenings to more than 1,500 children in the communities we serve. We’re helping thousands more navigate complex conditions, overcome mild delays, or catch up on missed milestones.
