Rainbows Changed Our Lives
“My whole journey started at Rainbows in 1978 when my husband, Walt and I adopted a little 5-day-old boy named Brandon,” said Margaret, Brandon’s mother. “He was just perfect.” As he grew, Margaret became concerned that Brandon was not progressing as quickly as other babies his age, and her sister noticed Brandon wasn’t following with […]
Is Your Baby Stressed Out?
Much research has shown that many parents (48%) believe that stress or stressful situations do not affect their baby before they turn one. This is actually not the case. Babies can often interpret and feel stress as early as one month old according to many studies. What are some signs that a baby might be […]
Letting Brayden Fail, With Love
Twenty-six-year-old Brayden is the biggest KU basketball fan you’ll ever meet. He is very sport-oriented, enjoys golfing with his dad and uncle and has played tournaments with them. This summer, Brayden and his mom, DeAnne attended Rainbows’ 50th Birthday celebration at the Wind Surge baseball game. Brayden has been part of the Rainbows’ family since […]
A whole new world of compassion
“When I first met with Jamee Funk, Rainbows’ Physical Therapist, she congratulated me on having a child with Down Syndrome,” said Stevie, William’s mother. “I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand at that time.” Will was an after birth diagnosis, nothing was caught on screenings, the pregnancy was normal, labor was progressing normally and then […]
DiGiovanni Family Celebrates
“The path, the journey we’ve been on, it all started at one place -Rainbows.” As a 10-year-old volunteering with her mother at Blarney Breakfast, Gretchen DiGiovanni had no idea the impact Rainbows United would someday have on her family. Gretchen’s parents, Dick and Carol Rohloff, are long-time supporters of Rainbows. Gretchen continued to be a […]
Laura and Leo tell their story
It was 1988 and after 2 weeks in the NICU, Laura was sent home with her parents, Jane and Randy who were completely unprepared on how to help their daughter. Laura was born with cerebral palsy and visual impairment. When Laura was 5 months old, a friend told them they needed to call Rainbows. The […]
Love for niece inspires Development Coordinator
“My niece Claire was born prematurely at 29 weeks and weighed only 2 lbs. and 6 oz.,” said Kelsi Hinshaw, Development Coordinator. “It was such a scary time for my brother and sister in-law. Rainbows came to the NICU to visit them and explained all of the services that would be available to them if […]
Speech Therapy and Hearing Correction Impact Behavior
Twelve years ago, 2-year-old Zane was referred to Rainbows in Butler County with developmental delays, including speech delay and hearing impairment. Zane’s day care provider had just taken a class for continued education for her day care license and had learned about children’s behaviors and the causes, and she thought by watching him and paying […]
Person-first Language = Dignity and Respect
Person-first Language is a form of speaking and writing that puts the person before their disability or diagnosis. It provides the understanding that they are multifaceted and that their diagnosis or disability is just one aspect of them that contributes to their identity. Person-first language, also referred to as people-first language, is about dignity and […]
A Solid Foundation to Grow
Do you remember this little curly-haired girl with the winning smile? Diagnosed with Chromosome 16P11-2 Micro-deletion Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder in May 2013, her parents were first told that she may not really talk and have a lot of difficulty expressing herself. “Now ten-years-old, she enjoys talking A LOT,” said Kim, Sophia’s mom. “Sophia […]
