Doing Good: Elizabeth Richardson Center
By:
Updated: November 30, 2009
"It's invaluable to us," said Father, Aaron Vanasse. "It is probably the most important facility in our lives."
Vanasse first came to the Elizabeth Richardson Center a few years ago, after his twin daughters Sara Kate and Anna Claire were born with cerebral palsy. The center has been providing speech and physical therapy to help the girls develop.
"It's been a long progression," he said. "There are lots of stops and starts, and we have even gone backward, but at the end of the day, without the people that are here with us, I can't imagine what my girls would be doing.
"We give them hope, and we let them know that they are going to have a future, and that we are there to help them," said Service Coordinator, Lora Lindsay.
Since the 1960's, the Elizabeth Richardson Center has also provided work and work training, advocacy, and family support for disabled citizens.
"Statistics tell us that 10% of the general public will need disability services at some point of their life," said Director of Marketing, Lynne Keller. "With all the growth in Northwest Arkansas, the needs just keep getting greater and greater."
The Vanasse family said that the center has changed their lives. When the girls first arrived, their parents had been told they may never be mobile or feed themselves. Anna Claire has recently transitioned into a regular classroom - and Sara Kate is an animated happy little girl.
"Those milestones were delayed, but to see those reached when people have told you it may happen - it may never happen - we call them every day miracles," Vanasse said. "My wife and I say we had an every day miracle again today."
"We give them the help that they need, and a lot of times we just give them that shoulder they need to lean on and someone to talk to and work things out with, and we really are providing that for a lot of parents in the community," said Richardson Center Speech Language Pathologist, Kimber Still.
The center offers three preschools, two daytime programs for adults and residential homes. Employees even make home visits to help parents like Aaron Vanasse.
For a father who never knew how far his little girls would go - the center has made his dreams come true.
"I want everyone to know, if I could, I would walk around with a big billboard that says 'the Elizabeth Richardson Center is here - if you have children that have special needs, this is the place they need to be at,'" Vanasse said. "The Richardson Center is a magical place."
For more information on the Elizabeth Richardson Center, go to their website at: http://www.richardsoncenter.org/main/index.htm
Vanasse first came to the Elizabeth Richardson Center a few years ago, after his twin daughters Sara Kate and Anna Claire were born with cerebral palsy. The center has been providing speech and physical therapy to help the girls develop.
"It's been a long progression," he said. "There are lots of stops and starts, and we have even gone backward, but at the end of the day, without the people that are here with us, I can't imagine what my girls would be doing.
"We give them hope, and we let them know that they are going to have a future, and that we are there to help them," said Service Coordinator, Lora Lindsay.
Since the 1960's, the Elizabeth Richardson Center has also provided work and work training, advocacy, and family support for disabled citizens.
"Statistics tell us that 10% of the general public will need disability services at some point of their life," said Director of Marketing, Lynne Keller. "With all the growth in Northwest Arkansas, the needs just keep getting greater and greater."
The Vanasse family said that the center has changed their lives. When the girls first arrived, their parents had been told they may never be mobile or feed themselves. Anna Claire has recently transitioned into a regular classroom - and Sara Kate is an animated happy little girl.
"Those milestones were delayed, but to see those reached when people have told you it may happen - it may never happen - we call them every day miracles," Vanasse said. "My wife and I say we had an every day miracle again today."
"We give them the help that they need, and a lot of times we just give them that shoulder they need to lean on and someone to talk to and work things out with, and we really are providing that for a lot of parents in the community," said Richardson Center Speech Language Pathologist, Kimber Still.
The center offers three preschools, two daytime programs for adults and residential homes. Employees even make home visits to help parents like Aaron Vanasse.
For a father who never knew how far his little girls would go - the center has made his dreams come true.
"I want everyone to know, if I could, I would walk around with a big billboard that says 'the Elizabeth Richardson Center is here - if you have children that have special needs, this is the place they need to be at,'" Vanasse said. "The Richardson Center is a magical place."
For more information on the Elizabeth Richardson Center, go to their website at: http://www.richardsoncenter.org/main/index.htm
