From the time she was born, Baby Gracelynn faced tremendous challenges. Starting out in the neonatal intensive care unit and labeled as “failure to thrive,” doctors had little hope for Gracelynn’s future. They told her family that she probably wouldn’t ever be able to walk, talk, or express herself.

Gracelynn’s mother, Hannah, had other ideas. She refused to give up hope for her little girl and decided to pursue therapy at 321go Kids.

At ten months old, Gracelynn struggled to crawl and pull herself up. She was underweight, which meant she didn’t have the muscle tone and strength to progress in her mobility like most babies her age. 321go Kids Physical Therapist Diana suggested three packages of twice weekly therapy to help Gracelynn overcome these physical challenges.

Gracelynn and Diana engaged in playful activities and explored a variety of standing and pulling-to-stand positions, using toys as motivation during therapy sessions. To improve ankle stability, Diana recommended ankle bracing. This helped Gracelynn’s muscles get stronger so she could support herself and gain mobility.

“Gracelynn made huge progress from the start,” Diana notes. “She learned to crawl with a good motor pattern. She was standing without hanging on and started taking steps independently. She became more and more confident with her skills after she gained the strength she needed to support herself.”

Gracelynn’s dedicated family played a vital role in reinforcing strength-building exercises at home. They identified things that inspired Gracelynn to move, which helped her achieve milestones in physical therapy.

Hannah recalls one of these therapy milestones: “Diana and I were trying to get Gracelynn to walk back and forth to us. At that point in time, her goal was to take seven steps without falling. I told her to give Ms. Diana a hug and she looked, turned around and started walking. It was her first time walking in therapy without falling, and she did about 15 steps.”

Now at 21 months old, Gracelynn is known for being a 321go Kids “baby ambassador” because she works so hard in therapy and encourages other babies to participate in therapy.

Hannah went from being a mom given no hope to seeing her daughter walk, talk, and express herself. She encourages other parents to consider physical therapy to help their children succeed: “I notice a big difference when Gracelynn is in active therapy. There’s nothing that compares to her being in therapy and thriving. She just takes off, and she blooms into this toddler that I didn’t even know existed.”

If you know of a child who needs to discover hope and unleash potential, consider physical therapy. Get started by completing our contact form at 321goKids.com