Stories of Impact

Vivian

Vivian has a distinctively sweet giggle that is guaranteed to melt your heart. She came into this world at 33 weeks, weighing just three pounds. Vivian was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and has a history of hip dysplasia, visual defects, scoliosis and other complications due to her muscle tone.

Her parents, Sara and Jon, knew Vivian had a rough road ahead of her. “At first we didn’t know if she would ever smile or recognize us,” shared Sara, who is also a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse. “We knew that early intervention would give her the best chance to thrive.”

Through Curative’s Birth to Three Program, Vivian started working diligently with occupational and physical therapists when she was just two months old. Sara shared that the therapy has made a world of difference in all of their lives.

“This was totally new territory for us and Curative has been a great resource, giving us a lot of good days.”

Vivian is now two and still needs quite a bit of help with her head control. She loves Sesame Street, reaching for her toys, and playing on her iPad. Vivian is also known to give up some great smiles and laughs every time she works with Carly, her physical therapist from Curative.

Carly shared that Vivian used to only be happy lying on the floor. “It took a while, but she now loves sitting in her Tumbleform chair and her wheelchair,” said Carly. “We are working on getting her own stander as well.”