Walking For Dreams

Thank you for all the kind words of support and congratulations with our exciting baby news and Elena's Kindergarten news.  We are still so thankful for continuing to receive so much support for our family and all our highs and lows.  This is definitely an exciting season for us, and are very much looking forward to the next few months.  We are glad to share our journey with you.

It is, however, that time of year again when we are happy to share with you a place that is so special to us because of what our sweet Elena has been able to achieve while attending.  That special place is the Jackson Center for Conductive Education.  As most of you regular readers know, Elena has been attending the Jackson Center for nearly three years.  During that time, Elena has made great strides, quite literally.  When we began, she was so little and I felt very much still helpless.  I had found myself thrown into a new world, a world of medical jargon, therapeutic exercises, medications, gait trainers, standers, orthotics, disabilities and most of all, fear of the future.

While Elena was working her way through hours of weekly therapy, I was finding myself amidst a community of families who understood.  Many of them had been there, done that.  All of them had endured the heartbreak, grief, fear and uncertainty that comes with learning your child is different.  This community I found myself in offered me something I had been desperately needing, people who understood.  All the while I was being supported by this special community, Elena was learning, growing, improving and loving all her new little friends.  

Over the last three years, I have seen Elena achieve things I'm certain she would not have achieved in traditional therapy.  These loving people at the Jackson Center believe, truly believe, in every single child that comes through their doors.  They see beyond their disabilities to improve on their abilities, encouraging the children and their families every inch of the way.

Elena loves this place.  She squeals and shouts throughout her six hours weekly there.  She loves the games they play, interacting with her friends, even the difficult tasks, she does with a smile on her face.  It would be impossible for me to measure how much she has grown during this time.  All I can say is that Elena would not be where she is today, nor would I, without this special place.  We are so thankful for these wonderful people and having found such a wonderful place for our daughter to grow in her ability.

You may remember, we do a fundraiser for them each May called Walking for Dreams.  100% of the money we raise goes to the Jackson Center, directly helping Elena in her therapy.  A donation to this cause, no matter how big or small, helps give Elena and all her friends an opportunity for a better, more independent life.  You can donate to our team in one of two ways:

• Donate online at www.walkingfordreams.org.  Click on "Donate," Select "Individual Walker," then choose "Hinton, Elena.”

• You may mail a check to the Jackson Center  – Walking for Dreams.
Please be sure to include Elena's name in the memo line if you mail a check.
(802 Samuel Moore Pkwy., Mooresville, IN 46158)

As I mentioned above, our family continues to be so thankful for all of you who follow our story and support us either through this, your prayers or even just reading my blog.  I truly mean it when I say that this all would be incredibly more difficult without all of you!

I'll leave you with the Jackson Center video we contributed to for this past year that has some great footage of Elena "in action"!