Fostering True Inclusion

It is estimated that around one in every six children suffers from a developmental disability. The good news is Southwest Louisiana has extensive resources for children, and even adults, with special needs. There are many businesses where they can receive physical, occupational and speech therapy, among others. Special schools are available for children, as are a sensory-friendly salon and gym. There are even local grants for therapists and a McNeese program available for people with intellectual disabilities. Here’s to continuing to build a more inclusive community.  

The following stories are about bravery, resilience and hope. The thing that binds five children together is one walker. The first four users have Down syndrome, but the latest little guy has brittle bone disease. The walker not just assists the children in taking steps but instills pride in parents and the community as the children have attended therapies, often extensively, to get where they are today. Let’s celebrate their wins together and continue cheering them on as they overcome new hurdles!

by Kerri Cooke

Porter

Porter,  son of Lacey and Todd Armentor, started life in the NICU at Women’s Hospital Baton Rouge before going home to grow for four months before he had open heart surgery at six months at Texas Children’s Hospital. As a child with Down syndrome, he needed therapy not only within the hospital but as he continued to grow at home as well. 

As a toddler, the usual milestones were harder to hit for Porter than other children, so he received physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy for which he attended Hope Therapy for five years. 

Alongside Hope Therapy, Porter was part of the Early Steps program, which is offered by the state for children from birth to three years old who need early intervention to thrive. At two years of age, Porter had yet to walk on his own, and while practice at therapy sessions was critical, Porter needed a little more help. “With Down syndrome comes low muscle tone, also called hypotonia,” Lacey says. “Because of this, our children often walk later than typical children. Porter worked hard multiple times a week through physical therapy, but he needed some added support as he learned the motions. He needed something to show him he was capable.”

To fill this need, Porter’s occupational therapist, Shannon Stevens, decided to ship him a walker she had in storage in Houma. “The walker put him in the proper position for him to learn the movements and create the ability,” Lacey says. “It also gave him the confidence he needed to reach that goal.”

Porter was able to walk on his own at two and a half, so Lacey asked Shannon if she could loan the walker to another child in need, Gabreyl “GG” Snow, who was having a similar difficulty to Porter. Shannon agreed and offered to leave the walker with Lacey to loan out as long as there is a child in need. The “traveling walker,” as it’s been dubbed, has now helped four children, including Porter, learn how to walk. It is currently in use by a fifth child.

Porter is excelling and now attends Bright Start Behavior Services, whose program has been able to replace all of Porter’s therapies. He is currently utilizing a special-needs tricycle that was gifted to the family. Lacey plans on passing it along next, saying, “Our kids are capable of anything given the right support and tools to succeed! It’s fascinating to bear witness to all of their accomplishments.”

GG

Gabryel “GG”, daughter of Katie and Dr. Eric Snow, struggled for longer than Porter to walk and was also part of the EarlySteps program. Lacey extended the offer to lend the walker that helped Porter to GG. 

“Lacey and I have become friends after bonding over being mothers of the same age Down syndrome kiddos,” Katie says.

GG’s list of therapies became extensive. She was a patient at Snow Holistic Health, Partners in Physical Therapy, MAXX Therapy of Lake Charles, NeuroSolution Center of Lake Charles, Magnolia Pediatric Therapy, Genesis Therapeutic Riding Center of WCCH, Cal-Cam Rehab, and St. Nicholas Center for Children, among others.

“We were at therapy EVERY SINGLE DAY, and it was exhausting,” Katie says. “But we didn’t give up. We worked and worked and finally she walked.” With the help of therapy and the “traveling walker,” GG finally walked at four years and one month old.

Townes

Townes, daughter of Courtney Wilks and Andy Gremillion, has been quite resilient despite her challenges. In January 2024, she had to have open heart surgery to repair two heart defects. 

Courtney says, “Weeks after heart surgery, Townes started crawling and immediately after our therapists started her journey to walking. She was walking with the walker months later and was independently walking by November.”

Now three years old, Townes has done occupation therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy with various organizations including EarlySteps, Kids Team Pediatric Therapy, Beyond Speech Therapy and with her Individualized Education Program, IEP, through the Calcasieu Parish School Board. She now also attends Bright Start. 

“These babies are all about determination and you will never see them give up,” Courtney says. “There’s so much Joy in watching them grow and learn new skills that most take for granted.”

Barrett

Barrett, son of Brooke and Seth Chapman, used the traveling walker after Townes. His challenges, according to Brooke, were figuring out how to balance and catch himself when he needed that balance.”

Barret has had feeding and speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy from a very young age. Brooke emphasizes, “He has been resilient since he was a newborn—starting with a grueling heart surgery at four months. He started working with his physical therapist, Abby Bell with Maxx Kids, at just six weeks old two to three times a week. He also works with Savanna Tomassi at Beyond Speech Therapy. He has worked incredibly hard to get where he is at today and that is why we celebrate so hard when he hits milestones. It takes an incredible amount of effort from him, and we are just so proud.” 

Barrett just began walking without assistance within the last few weeks and his family couldn’t be more thrilled!

Griffith

Griffith, son of Sarah Bradley and Dalton Abshire, but also co-parented by their current partners Denton Lisenby and Victoria Cilia, is the first child to receive the traveling walker for reasons other than complications from Down syndrome. He was born with osteogenesis imperfect, also knowns as brittle bone disease, and was born with long, curved bones in his legs and arms.

At five years old, Griffith has had three surgeries to put rods in his legs to straighten the bones so he could walk easier. Sarah says he “stood up before the surgeries, but since before the first surgery to the last surgery on May 6, he hasn’t despite having therapies, including at places like PediaTrust, to help him.”

Sarah says Griffith’s therapists “were incredible, but the walker was the missing piece. He took his first steps last week.”