Spring Break 2013

It's been a while, but Spring has finally sprung! Laik and I have been to the Gulf Coast with my sisters. It has been nice, a little chilly but nice to see the ocean and feel the sand with our toes!

I'll be back with exciting news of all of Laik's progress once we are back in Tennessee! For now, we are going to enjoy a little seafood and sunshine!

Twenty Decembers

Merry Christmas 2012 from Living Leffew!

This is the most wonderful time of the year.  

In 1992, Todd and I started dating on December 14.

In 1994, Todd proposed to me on Christmas Day!

In 1996,  Todd and I had our first Christmas as husband and wife.

In 2000, we spent our Christmas in a new home.

In 2009, I found out I was pregnant with Laik on December 17!

In 2010, it was Laik's first Christmas and it snowed on Christmas Day.

Now, here in 2012, it is our 20th Christmas together!

Throughout those years, there are have been many memories made.  But the Christmas years with our precious Laik have been the best.  Laik's birthday is June 25, which makes his 1/2 birthday be December 25, on Christmas Day!  It may sound silly, but I think that is cool.  And celebrating Laik's birth in June and the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas is a reminder of how blessed our life is.

  

Todd and I are very lucky that our parents and siblings all live here in Chattanooga.  Our Christmas is always filled with family and friends, many that have been around so many years that they seem like family!  And for Laik, this means only one thing, he is constantly surrounded by people that love him.    

I'm looking forward to many, many, many more Christmas days with Todd and Laik!  I continue to be like a child anxiously awaiting Christmas morning to arrive.  Seeing the presents under the tree, the toys all out and the stockings filled gives me joy in my heart.  Thank goodness, Laik likes Santa Claus! Here's to the next twenty Decembers!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  May your day be merry and bright.  Most importantly, please don't forget:  Today is the day that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ!

Go Laik! Go!

Siskin Children's Institute is changing our lives!  And the lives of many other children in the Chattanooga area.  I'm sharing a recent email from Siskin that was sent to past, present and potential donors.  (I have pieced this post together, so the alignment may not be perfect.)

If you are interested in helping, tell them Laik sent you! ;o)

Don't forget to watch the video at the bottom of this page!

Many thanks!
Todd, Kim and Laik

You may have seen these blonde locks and this smiling face beaming back at you from a brochure you found in your mailbox recently. Two-year-old Laik Leffew is in Classroom 5 at the Siskin Early Learning Center-Downtown and, for the first time in his life, has experienced a freedom many of us take for granted.

"Within just several weeks, Laik became independent in his gait trainer, and now has the freedom of movement," said Lisa Spurlock, a physical therapy assistant who has been working with Laik and his family for almost a year. "He has independence now!"

Laik was diagnosed at birth with partial trisomy 12p, a rare chromosomal disorder that causes significant developmental delays. Laik first came through the Early Learning Center doors when he was 18 months old, and with the help of his loving family and teachers, he has made incredible progress! He now uses a gait trainer to help him develop skills for walking. And he flies across the playground and in the Institute's hallways.  

Laik is one of more than 2,000 children the Institute served last year through its early childhood education programs, the developmental pediatric center, the home visiting program and many other services. That's 33 percent more children than the previous year! And that's because of donors like you!

Your gift to the 365 Club means independence and mobility to Laik. The Institute is committed to providing a level of care that allows children to reach their full potential, but we can't do it without the support of generous donors like you.

You can feel confident that the full amount of your donation directly supports the children and families we serve. And if you give today, your donation will have double the impact! How? For every $1 donated, the Robert L. & Kathrina H. Maclellan Foundation will match it dollor for dollar up to $25,000.

Make a safe and secure online donation or mail your gift to:

Siskin Children's Institute

365 Club Annual Fund

1101 Carter Street

Chattanooga, TN  37402

Attn: Craig Ingvalson

Click here to watch Laik speed across the playground in his new gait trainer! 

Thanks to donors like you, Laik is moving alongside his friends and peers.

Click here to listen to Kim Leffew, Laik's mom, talk about her family's experience at the Institute

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Keep up with the running tally of our 365 Club gift total

at siskin.org/365clubtotal.