Regan Hunter Heath
Life with 47 perfect pieces....
The start of a wonderful life
Regan was born February 20, 2005. He weighed 5lbs 11oz and was 19 ½ inches long. I noticed that afternoon that his pinky toes were webbed together on both feet. Ricky went to talk to the nurses about it. They told him that the doctor would be in shortly to talk to us. When the doctor did finally come in he just got right to the point. "Your child has the characteristics of a child with down syndrome" He then told us that Regan would be retarded and would never do the things other kids his age would do. It was something no parent ever wants to hear. I really don't remember much about what was said after that.
Now I know that the doctor that told us should of had better bedside manner. I wish everyday that he wouldn't have put such a negative spin on every single aspect of Regan. Yes, he is a challenge and has had many things to overcome but he is a blast. He sees things differently than we do and who is to say that he has the wrong view? Regan is a little boy first off. He is messy, stubborn, curious,loving boy. He is up for a challenge and when he gets an idea in his head then that is what he is going to do like it or not.
He has since proven that doctor wrong and I know that he will be proving him wrong the rest of his wonderful life.
imikimi - Customize Your World
The rest of the website will give you an inside look at the life of Regan.
Our Therapy journey
Regan started occupational therapy, physical therapy and special instruction when he was 6 weeks old. We had found out about early intervention when he was 3 weeks old from UAB. It took us the other three weeks to get in the system, evaluated and all the paperwork in order to begin. Regan began sitting up at 8 months, he was crawling at 10 months, cruising the furniture at 14 months and at 16 ½ months he was walking independently.
At 6 months Regan had his first speech therapy. She began coming monthly when he turned one. Regan is still delayed on speech but communicates using signs. Our speech therapist believed in total communication and that is why Regan uses over 100 signs today.
At the age of three he transitioned into preschool services. Regan has been receiving his therapy at Alexandria Elementary since February 2008. Regan will begin going to preschool at AES in the fall of 2009. We are excited that he will be in the school that he will be growing up in and that he will be in a class room setting that will be able to work with him on his strengths and weakness.
