Lekotek Families

The stories below are from our Lekotalk newsletter.
Read on and meet several Lekotek families and learn how Lekotek has made a difference in their lives. 

Lekotek graduate Noelle Ford and her parents

What Lekotek Means to Me

By Noelle Ford
When I think about the many years our family spent at Lekotek, what comes to mind is that Lekotek is a wonderful place where all people can play and learn. At Lekotek, no one is judged, and everyone is accepted. By being accepted into a community like Lekotek, I was able to make friends and relate to others. As a person with a disability, specifically, cerebral palsy (CP), I struggle every day with walking and balance. In addition, there are other challenges. Perhaps the greatest is accepting that life is going to be harder than it is for others. Another difficulty of having CP was finding schools with the right program for me. In middle school, we realized that I needed to be at a school with a smaller student to teacher ratio. Ms. Helene was a big help in finding the right school for me. Attending this school improved my academic performance. It also helped me become my own advocate, as it was the first time I attended a different school than my two, triplet sisters. I have some great memories of play sessions with my two sisters and brother and, later, attending computer camp with my siblings. My siblings and I graduated from being campers to counselors. We made sure the computer games worked correctly and helped campers access the computers with modifications designed to meet their specific needs. There have been many benefits from volunteering at Lekotek. The first benefit is that I have made great friends. The friends I have made at Lekotek helped me realize that I have to keep trying and never give up. The second benefit is that I helped the campers experience success by encouraging them to keep trying. As I transition to the Academy program at Kennesaw State University, I will miss volunteering at Lekotek. However, I will take a part of Lekotek with me to Kennesaw State because two volunteers I met at Lekotek, Emily Nevitt and Mia Vahle, will be my helpers while I live on campus.
In addition to volunteering at Lekotek camp, going to the Lekotek race and the pumpkin patch are also fond memories. At the Lekotek race, I would walk the 1-mile race and then help Ms. Helene give out the race awards. The annual pumpkin patch was held every fall. My family and I would go to the pumpkin patch and pick out a big pumpkin and a little pumpkin for each of us. We would put the little pumpkins on the windowsills and enjoy all fall.
I would like to thank Ms. Helene for starting Lekotek because I would not be as smart with technology as I am today. I would also like to thank the entire Lekotek staff for supporting me. Lekotek has made a huge difference in my life because it has helped me realize my talents and abilities. Lekotek is a special place. It’s been a home where our family has been able to have fun, learn together and meet new friends.

Lekotek graduate Nick Kostopoulo

What Lekotek Means to Me

By Nick Kostopoulo
Reflecting on the mission of Lekotek, I was struck by the phrase “…a world where children with disabilities are included and empowered through play.” Having a disability or otherwise, all people have dreams. We all seek to be valued members of our families, classrooms, peer groups and wider communities. In some respects, these human needs: to have both our dreams and our lives accepted, are goals toward which people with disabilities are still making strides. As a person with Cerebral Palsy, I am all too aware of this reality. Whether out of fear or ignorance, many able-bodied and neuro-typical people are still unsure of ways to include people with special needs in education, and even later, in the workforce. Thankfully, when I was younger, my parents were staunch advocates for inclusivity, especially when it came to my education. As advocates, I also know that they were met with resistance and uncertainty from those who wondered if my disability would be a distraction for the rest of the class, or if I would be able to keep up with my able-bodied peers. Lekotek then, was a breath of fresh air. Some of my most vivid memories pertaining to Lekotek are of attending sessions, not just by myself, but also with my typical brother and cousins joining in the play. In that sense, it wasn’t simply about the educational aspects of engaging with the technology; Lekotek provided opportunities for me to grow closer relationships with my family, while also giving them a chance to see just what services like Lekotek offer to children with special needs. While I confess that these are the moments that stick out clearest in my mind, it’s this aspect of finding ways to bring people together for which Lekotek should be commended as an organization. In a time when people are becoming increasingly more focused on the things that divide us, Lekotek’s mission to make sure that children with special needs are included in their families, their schools and the outside world is a vital and very necessary one. Many years after my direct involvement with Lekotek had ended, I was afforded the amazing opportunity to attend the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, having been accepted into that program’s Screenwriting Division. One of the first people my mother told was Helene Prokesch. Helene had been an invaluable source of support, not only through Lekotek, but she had also stepped in to advocate on my behalf at a particularly contentious IEP (individualized educational planning meeting for students with special needs). I also have no doubt that Lekotek’s twin impulses—to empower and include—only helped to further my dream to move to Los Angeles and attend USC. I would like to offer my thanks to Helene and the staff of Lekotek. I hope that this direct testimonial from a former “Lekotek kid” reinforces the importance of a vital place; a place that seeks to construct bridges, as well as a place that teaches kids to hold on to their dreams.

Lekotek graduate Matthew Roush at work at Suntrust

Meet Matthew Roush

Marty Alfers, Vice President of SunTrust’s Equipment Finance Group has lots of compliments for team member Matthew Roush. “Matt makes our entire team stronger with his presence.” On Thursday, October 26th, Matt and the Equipment Finance Group Operations Team welcomed Georgia Representative, Sheila Jones in honor of “Take Your Legislator to Work”– a state led effort to showcase the skills and abilities of individuals with disabilities working in local businesses and strengthening their communities. Matt enjoyed introducing representative Jones to his team, giving her a tour and explaining his work responsibilities that include document scanning, data entry and quality control processes and research. Michael Miller, Matt’s manager says, “Matt is a hard worker who is genuine, caring and thoughtful. While he learns from us, we all learn from him.” Matt, who has hearing and visual disabilities joined SunTrust in 2008. According to Senior Vice President of Community and Government Affairs, Kirby Thompson, “We welcome the chance to show elected officials how SunTrust embraces diversity and inclusion in our workplace by hiring productive individuals like Matt.” As one of our first Lekotek “kids” we are proud of Matthew’s accomplishments. SunTrust Trusteed Foundations were one of Lekotek’s first donors in 1985. We are grateful for their continued generous support, making it possible for Lekotek to create success stories like Matt’s, every day.


Belle uses a red button switch to access the computer

Meet Our Beautiful Belle

By Farah and Ben Butler
“Every day may not be good but there is something good in every day.” This has been our inspiration since embarking on a very unique journey with our special little girl. Belle was a full-term, “healthy” 5 month old baby until one day in March of 2016. Belle began having seizures, which led to a hospital stay and MRI. What we anticipated to be a normal MRI was far from it. The photos of Belle’s brain showed a rare brain malformation called Pachygyria- meaning parts of Belle’s brain are smooth rather than wrinkly. It’s most pronounced in the back portion of Belle’s brain, in areas that control motor skills and visual processing. Due to this malformation Belle has limited use of her arms, impaired visual processing and significant delays with sitting and weight bearing. We are involved in many therapy sessions which aren’t always fun. But that is where Lekotek comes in. Upon our first visit with our Lekotek leader, Valerie, we knew we had a reprieve from rigorous therapy sessions. Belle instantly connected with Valerie and spends every session smiling from ear to ear and cackling as she plays with fun toys and technology, selected and adapted to meet her needs. Belle’s fine motor skills and use of her arms are improving because of Lekotek. And best of all, we get to take everything home to continue to play, practice and learn. The joy we receive seeing Belle motivated and successful is priceless. Lekotek is an inspirational organization for parents and families like us. It gives us hope that Belle will progress and achieve all that she is capable of accomplishing. No parents expect to face these kinds of challenges. But life with Belle suddenly puts everything into perspective. We celebrate every win, no matter how big or small. We are proud of Belle and from the bottom of our hearts we thank our Lekotek family for their love and support.



Andrew and his mom play with a switch toy

Andrew's Story

By Caroline and Todd Southerland
Neither of our pregnancies was easy, but our time with Andrew was particularly hard due to pre-term labor complications that began with strict bed rest and ultimately resulted in permanent admittance to the hospital at only 29 weeks. Andrew was born a few weeks later following an emergency C-section, and while the gravity of the situation was not lost on either of us, we had no reason to suspect that anything had gone terribly wrong or that our son had suffered any complications before or during the delivery. He was immediately admitted to the high risk NICU, quickly transferred to the low-risk unit and home several weeks later. Aside from the routine challenges associated with the last stages of development for a preemie (a situation we had endured just 16 months prior when Andrew’s sister, Allie, had been born at 34 weeks), our time in the hospital was familiar. Over the ensuing months, Andrew had several follow-up doctor visits to which any premature child is typically subjected; we had lived this experience with Allie, and while nothing about Andrew’s first few months felt significantly different, his neurologist was becoming increasingly concerned about his developmental delays. Following an MRI that was performed at the early age of just five months, we were told that Andrew suffered brain trauma in the hours prior to delivery. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and cortical visual impairment.
Most four year olds spend their time on jungle gyms, watching Sesame Street, or reading Curious George. Our son spends his hours at doctor offices being prodded, poked, stretched, evaluated, or some combination thereof. Andrew is consistently subjected to a rigorous schedule of therapies to teach basic life functions that most parents take for granted. However, we have learned that the will and determination of a child is powerful enough to overcome any challenge when surrounded by caring, nurturing individuals. The Lekotek program has been one such outlet through which Andrew will be forever changed, particularly because it provides a reprieve from his routine and an opportunity to “just have fun”. For several years now, the specialists at Lekotek have been able to provide Andrew with adapted toys and devices that advance his learning and physical development to support the work he does each week in therapy. We have especially enjoyed the many sibling activities, such as last summer’s Computer Camp, where Andrew has opportunities to interact with his sister in unique ways that are more difficult to foster in a home setting. It is early yet in Andrew’s journey, but his life has been touched in so many special ways by his play sessions with Peggy and the hard work of the entire Lekotek family.
When Andrew was diagnosed, we believed that our life's purpose was then defined, that it was our sole responsibility to shape a world for a son with needs far greater than our own and beyond the realm of any burden that a child deserves. What we didn’t fully anticipate was the outpouring of support that we have received from an extended family whose debts we can never repay or the degree to which organizations like Lekotek work to foster inclusion and success for all children. We also failed to appreciate the profound impact that a child with challenges can have on a parent, a family, or his community. Our son is continually surrounded by the love and grace of a family (of which Lekotek is a key part) that stops at nothing to provide the support and care that Andrew needs. As important, it makes us tremendously proud to see how he touches those same lives: a smile that reminds everyone that disabilities can be overcome; challenges will be conquered; and that hope is a good thing, the best of things. Lekotek has been an irreplaceable part of Andrew's development as there is no greater cause than the life and well-being of a child.