Maclain was born premature and had a difficult course in the neonatal intensive care unit. His parents knew from the very beginning that he was going to have lifelong challenges, even though a confirmed diagnosis of severe cerebral palsy was not made until he was a year old.
Searching for help, Maclain’s family turned to March of Dimes Canada’s Conductive Education® (CE) program. Maclain’s cerebral palsy is quite significant and he has extremely low body tone and control. Since starting with CE, Maclain’s head and trunk control have improved tremendously. He is gaining the use of his left hand and fingers to grab, hold and manipulate objects and he is learning to stand and step in his walker with the guidance and support of the CE staff.
Maclain’s Mom, Brenda, says:
"This is huge for us because it shows the potential ability he may have to power a wheelchair,feed himself, and operate a computer, etc.— all things that will help contribute to our ultimate
goal for him, which is independence.
His words and comprehension have exploded. He just lights up with pride when he accomplishes something, and at CE it seems that every day he does something even better than the day before. It truly is the most well-rounded approach to helping kids like Maclain. With CE, we see progress and improvement in all areas of Maclain’s development."
