The Center Celebrates 20 Years!

Dear friends of the Center,
This year marks the Center’s 20th anniversary! We’ve grown from serving six children out of a local church to over 250 children per year at four locations throughout the Chicagoland area! What an amazing adventure, filled with so many wonderful people and beautiful moments.

In 1998, our original Board of Directors made a pledge that the Center would never turn a child away due to lack of insurance or inability to pay. Generous donors like you have allowed us to keep that commitment! Over the past 20 years the Center has served over 650 children and young adults with physical disabilities and given nearly $11million in charitable services. The Center has been a safety-net for children who are often turned away.

The Center is grateful to the many people who have helped our program grow and flourish: our Board of Directors; generous donors who support our program; talented professional staff who help children achieve their highest level of independence; and finally, parents who entrust us with their children.

Learning that your baby has cerebral palsy can be incredibly devastating for young parents and often results in many stressful unanswered questions: “Will my baby be okay?” “Will my baby grow up healthy and included?” “What does the future look like for my child?” The past 20 years have proven that despite challenges, the future is bright!

Families raising children with physical disabilities should dream big! Kids with cerebral palsy are happy, engaged, curious, and full of joy – just like their able-bodied peers. We have celebrated alongside families as their child achieved milestones including high school graduations, transitioning to college, entering the workforce, and living in the community independently. Given the opportunity, children with physical disabilities can do anything that they set their mind to – we witness that each and every day at the Center!

Thank you for your support over the past 20 years – your kindness has allowed us to help families believe in endless possibilities. We look forward to sharing many success stories of independence for years to come!

— Patricia Herbst, Executive Director