Daughter inspires parents to build inclusive park
Inspiring Kelly Meissner plays with her daughter Kate, who has Angelman syndrome, at their Elmira home, Thursday.
Mathew McCarthy, Record staff
ELMIRA — Kelly Meissner decided she needed to do something good with all the anxious energy after her baby daughter was diagnosed with a severe genetic disorder, rather than getting mired in bad thoughts.
Her daughter Kate was a shining example of that positive approach.
“To Kate, she’s completely normal,” Meissner said. “She’s happy and loves her life.”
Meissner wants her daughter to be able to enjoy simple childhood pleasures regardless of her disability, inspiring her to raise money to build a park accessible to all children in the family’s hometown of Elmira.
Under the banner Kate’s Kause, Kelly and Jeremy Meissner have raised about $85,000 in a little over half a year. They hope to raise the estimated cost of at least $150,000 by next spring to have the park ready for the summer.
The play area will include equipment appealing to children of all abilities and special turf that’s easy to navigate and safe for disabled children.
Kate, who’s just shy of her second birthday, has Angelman syndrome. The rare genetic disorder causes severe developmental delays and neurological problems.
Limited speech, sleep disorders, and trouble with movement and balance are common symptoms.
While there’s no specific therapy for the syndrome, medical treatment is usually required for seizures. And various forms of therapy, including physical, occupational and communication therapy, can help a person develop as many skills as possible.
“It’s a pretty upsetting and severe diagnosis,” Meissner said.
Kate’s parents noticed in her first few months that she was lagging behind other children and not reaching such milestones as crawling, sitting and eating solids when expected. Meissner researched possible causes, but that didn’t prepare her for the doctor’s prognosis last summer.
“We were pretty shocked, but she’s still our girl, so we’re trying to do our best to cope,” Meissner said.
Life with a disabled child can be difficult, and the Meissners grieved about losing the future they had imagined for their daughter and family. Meissner still finds it tough knowing Kate will probably only ever say a few words.
“It’s those little day-to-day things that are the hardest for me,” she said.
But she said they’ve also learned valuable lessons from Kate. One life-changing realization came when the Meissners, including Kate’s older brother Jamieson, enjoyed a day at Marineland like any other family.
“It’s not so bad to be special,” Meissner said.
Kate is a fighter who struggles, but keeps working to do ordinary things like crawling and sitting. Once she learned how to crawl on her belly earlier this year, she hasn’t stopped and now she’s crawling on all fours.
“She hardly sits still anymore,” Meissner said.
Every little accomplishment is celebrated. Seeing her progress, helped in part by physical and occupational therapy a few times a week, Meissner is hopeful that one day Kate will walk.
“She’s on Angelman time. She just does everything slow and on her own schedule,” she said.
The couple is determined to treat Kate like any other child, encouraging her and pushing for her to be as integrated as possible. Next fall, Kate is starting at the local preschool.
They want other children and families to appreciate Kate for who she is, too, which drives their efforts to build the inclusive park.
Meissner imagines children of all abilities playing together, just being kids. There she knows Kate will enjoy every minute.
“All she wants to do is live,” Meissner said. “She’s just so happy living.”
Find out more at www.kateskause.com. Kate’s Kause is a finalist in the Keg restaurant’s Thanks a Million contest, awarding $25,000 grants to community projects. Vote at www.thekegthanksamillion.com until June 14.
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