Page 9 - JOD Program 2017 all pages_Neat

Barbara Lopez Avila is a mother of four,
Lauren, Liam, Landon, and Logan. Her
youngest two are twins, Logan and Landon.
Landon is typically developing but Logan was
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diagnosediagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) shortly after
birth. Logan suffered severe brain damage at
birth which lead to his CP diagnosis as well as a
seizure disorder and vision impairment. In light
of his severe multiple impairments, Logan’s
prognosis was poor.

It was then that Barbara decided to learn all she could about the diagnosis that
her son was given. She met with medical professionals, therapists, read
professional journals, and attended conferences on all aspects of these disorders.
Her previous training as a developmental psychologist prepared her to take this
challenge head on. She often found that experts did not agree on the best course
of treatment for Logan and she was tasked with making the difficult decision to
ignore the recommendations of experts and move forward with what she
b
belielieved was the best treatment for her son.
It is that drive that led Barbara to seek out the help of Parent to Parent of Miami.
She knew that understanding the educational system would be integral for
helping her son. She attended several of the trainings and worked with the
counselors to learn how to advocate effectively and meet Logan’s needs.

A As a result of her unyielding resolve, Logan has made incredible gains. Logan
has defied the predictions of his doctors that had him wheelchair bound and is
now able to walk independently. Logan, at five years old, can use a table to
communicate his needs even though he is not able to attend to visual
information due to his vision impairment and does not have full use of his hands
due to his CP.

Giveniven Logan’s young age, there are many challenges that remain for Logan
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and his family. The support from Parent to Parent of Miami has been and will
likely continue to be invaluable for Barbara and her family. Barbara is proud to
be recognized for her efforts on behalf of her family with the Family Empower-
ment Award and is thankful to Parent to Parent of Miami for their support.