5 minute read
Two Mothers, One Mission
by Bridget Steele, Sr. Director of Charities
In the waiting room of the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Columbus, Ohio, two teachers found themselves on parallel paths: both mothers, both watching their children struggle to read, and both carrying the weight of knowing what that struggle could mean for their futures. Sitting together week after week, Michelle Collins and Lindsey Lewis-Stacy formed a friendship shaped by shared challenges, professional insight, and ultimately, profound transformation, thanks to the Center and the Scottish Rite Masons who make its mission possible.
While their children worked through their lessons, Michelle and Lindsey remained in the waiting room, offering quiet support not just to their kids, but to each other. “Our kids were more comfortable starting out with us close by,” Lindsey shared. “My son told me, ‘Don’t leave me.’”
But over time, the fear faded, replaced by pride, growth, and confidence.
Lindsey’s son, Carter, began this journey in early elementary school when his curious, enthusiastic love of learning collapsed. “He was getting so anxious about school that he would throw up before going,” she recalled. “Then, during COVID, I noticed something. He could memorize books I read aloud, but he couldn’t read them himself.”
Her younger daughter, Olivia, had learned her letters quickly and started reading in kindergarten, but something still felt off. “She could memorize a book and read it back to you, but she wasn’t decoding,” Lindsey said.
Both children were diagnosed with dyslexia, and after enrolling at the Children’s Dyslexia Center, their reading scores began to improve.
With the support of Center staff and dedicated Orton-Gillingham tutors, Carter went from a pre-kindergarten reading level to an on-grade level in one year and eventually surpassed it. Olivia, who started with a score of “limited” on her reading assessment, finished the year with a rating of “accelerated.”
The gains were not just academic. “Their confidence improved, their anxiety decreased,” Lindsey said. “Not just confidence in reading: in how they carry themselves, how they communicate with their peers and adults, self-advocating. Everything changed. Carter will tell you he feels like coming here saved his life.”
Michelle’s story mirrors that transformation. Her son Gunner began kindergarten during the COVID-19 shutdown and was already facing speech and hearing delays. “We knew something was going on,” she said. “He didn’t know his letters very well. We chalked it up to speech, but we got into first grade and had a wonderful teacher who pushed for him to get some help.”
Once he enrolled at the Center in third grade, Gunner’s progress took off. “He gained two grade levels his first year here,” she said. “Now, he’ll pick up a book and read. He advocates for himself at school. He’ll say, ‘I already know this. I want to learn more.’ For him to say that – it made everything worth it.”
And the work of the CDC didn’t just transform their children. Michelle and Lindsey’s friendship, born in the Center’s waiting room chairs, became another unexpected gift. Together, they celebrated milestones and shared frustrations. Their children grew close as well, developing a protective bond reflective of their mothers’ connection.
“It’s unique when you are parents of children with special needs, and then when you’re teachers, and you’re in the same school district, and then on top of that have an IEP. For us to have all of that in common is a very unique dynamic,” Lindsey said.
As educators, they’ve seen the ripple effect of the Center’s approach. “I teach executive functioning skills in junior high,” Lindsey explained. “The difference between the kids who had Orton-Gillingham and those who didn’t? It’s noticeable. The ones who went through it apply those skills across all subjects.”
He’ll say, ‘I already know this. I want to learn more.’
Michelle has witnessed it too. “I have a student who was reading at a first-grade level in eighth grade. He gained four grade levels in one year,” she said. “He reads out loud. He helps others. He knows how to break down words. He has the confidence to say, ‘I need help.’ It’s amazing.”
That’s the legacy of the Children’s Dyslexia Centers and the Masons who have built and supported it for so many years. “Without the Masons, this wouldn’t exist,” Lindsey said. “Starting something new isn’t easy, especially when people don’t understand how dyslexia affects every part of life. But they believed in this.”
All three children graduated from the Center this spring. As they wrapped up their final summer session, the feeling was bittersweet. “We won’t have the drive, we won’t have the time here,” Lindsey said. “It’s like you won’t see part of your extended family anymore.”
“This place has truly changed his life,” Michelle said of Gunner. “We have to share the wealth here with everyone, because everyone should have the opportunity to come here. But it’s also very sad, too, because this place is just special.” could memorize books I read aloud, but he couldn’t read them himself.”
One member of their families may not be gone for good. Carter is already planning his return to the Center –as an Orton-Gillingham tutor. “He wants to give back,” Lindsey said. “He sees this as a way to help other kids the way this place helped him.”
For more information on your local Center and how you can help students access essential tutoring resources, please visit: www.ChildrensDyslexiaCenters.org
