Meet Oakley who recently turned two!  Oakley loves playing with her big sister Harper, water play, visiting the park to go on the swings and exploring the world in her wheelchair.

Oakley has spina bifida and hydrocephalus and has had six major surgeries.  On the day she was born she had a surgery to repair the opening in her spine. She has also had surgery to repair her clubbed feet and she has had four shunt related surgeries.  Oakley has a shunt which helps drain extra fluid in her brain so it does not cause too much pressure.

Oakley has been involved with the Children’s Treatment Centre since she was two months old to monitor her development.  “The Children’s Treatment Centre therapy staff really push her out of her comfort zones and help her reach her milestones,” says Mark VanDerMolen, Oakley’s dad.  “Whenever she does reach her milestones, the staff celebrate right along with us, so it’s like one big team supporting her future.”

Oakley’s team and the Children’s Treatment Centre look forward to continuing to support Oakley and her family as one of our amazing kids today, enriching our community tomorrow.