Unconditional Love

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Without supportive Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) programs like our child development centers, many children and their families in the region would fall through the cracks. This past year, CAP’s Parents Are Teachers initiative celebrated 45 years of providing early intervention to children with developmental delays.

“It’s a ministry for me where I can provide hope and transform lives by providing different resources and walking alongside families who may be unsure of the future,” said Suzann Fenton. She has been with CAP for 37 years and has served as a teacher in Parents Are Teachers for the past 35 years. “Without Parents Are

Teachers and CAP, a lot of families wouldn’t have hope. They wouldn’t know where they would go or don’t have a support system to help them. Parents Are Teachers has truly changed my life. I just can’t express how grateful I am for this opportunity to serve.”

Fenton’s drive to help children reach their full potential comes from personal experience. She herself struggled through school and was told by her guidance counselor she would never be accepted into college, let alone make it through her classes. She learned in that moment that people can make a difference in their own lives if they are willing to work at it rather than accepting judgment that has been passed on them.

In her role, she has served hundreds of children in Eastern Kentucky. At times, Fenton meets families at their lowest, after they have been informed their child may never walk, talk, or thrive. She approaches her work with compassion and unconditional love, and without judgment. She strives to help each child reach their full potential as well as demonstrate to the parent how they can offer support and be an advocate for their child.

One week before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Fenton met Jasmine*, a single mother with three children. The youngest son, Josh*, who was nearly 2 years old at the time, had a rare genetic condition that impacted his development and overall health. When Fenton visited their home, Josh spent most of his time lying on his back with little movement, not interacting with anyone or anything around him. Jasmine was told he would never walk or talk.

Fenton connected Josh with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, and although facing pandemic closures and restrictions, she consistently did sessions virtually with Josh and Jasmine. After a year of hard work, Josh was able to sit up on his own and scoot around the room, and he could pull himself up to stand with a walker. He started to smile, play, and, for the first time, look Jasmine in the eye.

“It’s amazing to see the difference that can be made in the lives of families through Parents Are Teachers,” Fenton said.

Another highlight of her career is when Jacob Mason, who Fenton provided a variety of therapy interventions to as a child, came to see her as an adult. Mason had developmental delays and faced several challenges because of his special needs. He struggled to learn how to feed himself, talk, crawl, and walk — but Fenton and his parents worked together to strengthen his skills and help him reach his full potential.

Mason graduated high school in 2014 in the top 15% of his class and graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Kentucky University in 2019. He went on to have a successful career. During their visit, Mason told Fenton about his accomplishments and thanked her for all she had done for him.

“I hope that I have made a difference in people’s lives through living out our mission. CAP truly cares about people. We want to help make an impact in their lives,” she said. “I am thankful for what CAP has done for me and for the work the organization has done in ministering to others for the past 60 years.”