BORN WITH A HE ART DEFECT, OMAHA TODDLER ‘ T HRIVING’ WITH NETWORK OF SUPPORT

BY JENNI BARENBERG SPECIAL FOR EARLY DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

Austin and I are originally from McCook, Nebraska. We have now lived in Omaha for a little over 10 years. Our daughter, Eleanor, was bor n with a congenital heart defect that was detected in utero in February 2020.

At 2 months old, Eleanor underwent an 8-hour open heart surgery at Children’s Hospital &

Medical Center during the height of the COVID pandemic. We finally were able to bring her home after being in the hospital for a month.

We heard about the Early Development Network through Children’s Hospital. They gave us their contact infor mation for when we were discharged. Once we got home, we were easily able to get in contact with them.

Even though we were in the middle of a pandemic, our services coordinator contacted us to make sure things were going OK.

We got Eleanor evaluated, and we have been receiving services for about 2 years. We currently are receiving direct services from our services coordinator, Christine; a physical therapist; an occupational therapist; a speech therapist; and teacher We have one great team consulting with us on her development!

Since beginning with the Early Development Network, we have seen significant changes in Eleanor Our daughter did not start crawling until she was closer to 1 and walking until she was 2. She will be 3 in February and is thriving.

She is constantly jumping, climbing and running around the house. For fun, we like to read books, color, play at the park and go to the zoo together It’s hard to believe she ever had delays with her developmental milestones.

Austin and I have also seen changes in ourselves thanks to the Early Development Network. They have provided us with not only other resources within the community but a team that we can lean on for help and support whenever we need them. We truly would not be where we are today without our team!

Words cannot describe how thankful I am for our services coordinator, Christine, and the Millard team. Our experience has been nothing but positive and uplifting. From the first day we met them, they have been one of our biggest supporters and advocates. At this point, they feel like an extension of our family

Research shows that the first three years are the most important time for lear ning in a child’s life. Providing support and services early improves a child’s ability to develop and lear n. Also, it may prevent or decrease the need for special help later The goal for early intervention in Nebraska is to “open a window of opportunity” for families to help their children develop to their full potential.

It is never too early to ask questions about your child’s development. Take advantage of free early intervention services through your school district. Call 402-597-4936 or visit our website at omahaedn.esu3.org.