Help Callum find his voice!

Hello and thanks for being here!! Our names are Aliyah and Connor, and Callum is our wonderful 2 (almost 3) year old son who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Cerebral Palsy, and Global Developmental Delay.

Four days after he was born, Callum was placed in the NICU due to high bilirubin. His levels were so high he almost needed blood transfusion…but thankfully, the light therapy worked! During his stay the nurses and doctors would make jokes that he was the biggest baby on the floor, and how remarkable it was that he was still eating and gaining weight despite how sick he was.

These early moments show Callum has always been a fighter, even from his earliest days. After we were sent home, Callum’s journey into growing and learning took off. As he got older though, we started to notice that he was not meeting any of his developmental milestones on time. When he was around 4 months old, we started working side by side with Dayton Children’s to provide everything and anything we could to help to get Callum’s development on track. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder level 2 and Cerebral Palsy when he was around 2. Despite these diagnoses, he is the happiest and most curious little boy you’ll ever see. He has the brightest smile, and his infectious laugh will truly fill your heart with happiness.

Callum’s continued hard work in therapy has really paid off. Last summer, he graduated from physical therapy, and he has been doing fantastic in occupational therapy as well.

However, his biggest challenge has always been his communication. By working closely with his speech therapist and Help Me Grow for months we learned he responds amazingly to an AAC Speech device. As soon as it was introduced to him he picked it up right away. Callum was able to use it with such ease, almost as if he had it since the start of his journey. We are very blessed to have an opportunity through AbleNet to have a free trial AAC device at home, and it has helped him dramatically.

Callum has found his voice through his device, and we are hoping with your help that we can continue to give him his best life!