Tender Loving Care for Preccious, Isaiah and Kiree

It’s hard to describe my life as a 19-year-old, single mom with two toddlers. Isaiah has autism. His little brother, Kiree is learning to walk. They are everything to me. Sometimes we have fun, like going to the park or making spaghetti together. But life can be hard. I work at a grocery store to support them while trying to finish high school. It takes patience and determination. 

I don’t have many friends that I can talk to. Therapy sessions through the hospital’s Healthy Generations program help me get things off my chest. Sometimes, my social worker brings tissues and lets me have a cry session even in the middle of a doctor’s appointment. I’m comfortable with the people at the Shaw Metro location. They — especially the social workers — are like best friends to me. They are always welcoming and help me with anything I need, then send me home with diapers and other supplies if I need them. 

Isaiah has regular speech therapy and behavioral therapy to help with tantrums and difficult transitions. They’re also watching Kiree for early signs of autism. They are teaching me, my mom and our daycare providers how to better communicate with Isaiah and be more patient with him. Now, he’s speaking so much more and can count to 15 in English and Spanish.  

Healthy Generations takes care of us. The people there are helping me be a better mom and giving Isaiah and Kiree a strong start. It’s a beautiful thing to see them thrive. Children’s National Hospital is my village.