Stories of Impact
Atreus
The name Atreus comes from Greek mythology and represents a brave warrior. It is fitting for two-year-old Atreus who surprised his parents nearly three months before his due date. “He kind of came as a surprise,” explains his mom, Haly. “I had no signs of being pregnant with him. I went into the ER for stomach pains and they told me I was pregnant. Moments later, I gave birth in the ER. Atreus is the perfect name for him. He is quite the little warrior.”
Being premature led to an extended stay in the NICU for Atreus. He had some medical concerns, needing oxygen and a feeding tube for many months. He overall had low muscle tone, but with the help of occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT), Atreus is thriving.
“We are working on helping Atreus meet his age-appropriate milestones. Basically, most of what we need to address stems from him being premature,” explains Mary, his occupational therapist. “I focus on fine motor coordination and dexterity – activities that require both hands to manipulate toys. So, we do a lot of pushing buttons, twisting nobs, turning pages of a book. While Erika, his physical therapist, is focusing on getting Atreus in good positioning for all those activities.”
There is a lot of coordination between his therapists. They work together to create a plan that helps address what Atreus needs to focus on to keep progressing.
Atreus’ parents have noticed that he is making great strides with the help of Curative.
“Atreus is very chill and laid back, but he has a very goofy side to him. He loves his books and stuffed animals,” adds Haly. “Actually, he has just been amazing. We were not expecting kids so soon, but he came and made everything better. And, Curative has been so amazing in helping us with everything. They are great people, really nice and they just love Atreus. I would tell other parents in the same situation to have a lot of patience,” concludes Haly. “It is going to get better and your child will progress. They are just going to take their own time to develop on their own schedule.”