Success Story 4: Carmel

Carmel came with his parents to Palestinian Happy Child Center for diagnose, and he was diagnosed as Autism, delay in speech and language, delay in perception and comprehension.

In the beginning his parents refused to accept the child’s condition because Carmel was the only child for them.

His parents started taking him to different institutions and presented him to the specialists and they stopped coming to the PHCC.

The specialists at PHCC kept calling Carmel’s parents in order to ask about him and convinced his father to bring Carmel to the PHCC.

Also Dr. Jumana Odeh talked to Carmel’s father and discussed with him his child’s condition in order to convince him about the importance of bringing Carmel to the center , and after long discussions with his parents , finally his father brought him to the phcc for rehabilitation .

A Tailor – made program built to suit his individual needs according to his case, since he started to attend sessions of occupational therapy, behavioral therapy and speech therapy Carmel showed a remarkable progressive on his case, development in perception and comprehension and because of that he started going to a kindergarten with normal children, with regular visits from PHCC specialists in order to follow up on his case. The father now was totally convinced with Carmel’s case.

Now after four years at PHCC, Carmel started saying some words, reading the letters and showing interaction with the surrounding.

Success Story 3: A Look of Hope

It was five years ago , when I knew I was pregnant, I was very exicted because I hadn’t faced any problem with my pregnancy, when I finished my fifth month, I started bleeding and I was very afraid of losing the baby because I had previously suffered from abortion five times.

I rushed to a specialist and he told me that “the placenta is before the baby and that I have to get rest very well”, so I got rest until I begin eighth month when I started bleeding again and I stayed at the hospital for ten days and I gave birth with a Caesarean section, the baby stayed in the incubator for ten days, his weight was 2.5 kg and 49 cm length.

The baby was normal during his first and a half year, after that I noticed that he is not communicating with me and the vocabulary he knows no longer exist, so we took him to a nerves doctor, he told us that the baby has Autism, that wasn’t a problem for me, the real problemwas that the doctor told us that the child will not improve much.

I and my husband have read a lot about Autism and decided to take Ibrahim to a specialist in Jordan, he told us to do a diet with some vitamins, and then we took him to a specialist to give him functional therapy sessions, after six months we took him to another center in which he showed some improvement, he started distinguishing some things around him.

After that we took him to Friends Autism Center and there I asked the specialist to give him sessions alone because I was worried that he will not do like the kids in the center, then he went to the kindergarten two days a week and he showed some improvement but not a lot, I took him to another center and he is still going there.

Ibrahim showed a lot of improvement, he started communicating with us, distinguishing things, colors, animals, some letters, he knows his relatives, says some words, plays with his brothers, and in two days he learned how to use the bathroom alone with a little help, after all this improvement his father isn’t believing that he has Autism, he has enormous capacity of learning.

I thank god for what Ibrahim is today and I thank the Happy Child center for all what they helped Ibrahim with. And I ask every mother never to lose hope because every problem has a solution.

Success Story 2

Adam is 5 years old, from Jerusalem. He was seen by a paediatrician, psychologist, family doctor and referred for hearing test. Then at the age of 25 months was referred by an audiologist to the PHCC for further investigation and proper diagnosis. He presented with complaints, hyperactivity, bizarre activity, not obeying orders, not responding to his name, shows temper tantrums & loud screaming, especially at night.

Parents were embarrassed by his behaviour and were desperate to find out what is his problem?!

At the PHCC Adam was diagnosed of having Autism Spectrum Disorder “ASD,” a tailor made program was designed especially for Adam. His parents were educated on the condition and were informed about the intervention schedule which PHCC uses in such cases. His parents were very understanding and cooperative, but for them to come to Ramallah for the treatment four times weekly was a real problem, since the mom has never left home alone! First time when the family approached the PHCC, they all came, Adam, his older brother, his dad and his mom. For the mom it was her first time in Ramallah, she never went out of her house alone, always with her husband, parents or another member of the family!

When they were given appointments to continue with Adam, the father agreed to come for few appointments but because he works two jobs, he could not make it, so the PHCC team suggested that the mother come with the two kids for Adam to get the treatment. So she started to come all the way from Al Eizarieh “Jerusalem” to Ramallah, but with the two kids and her father-in-law, in a taxi. The taxi would wait until they finish with the treatment. Although the PHCC offers all kind of interventions for all needy children free, especially children with autism, yet, it was expensive for the family, the transportation and time consuming for the in–law. Adam’s mom was convinced by the PHCC team to come alone with the kids. After few times she started coming alone in a taxi. Then she was accompanied with one member of the PHCC to the main bus station, who showed her to use the bus, in order to save money! After two years of intervention she came with Adam to tell her story. She was so happy to become independent and to be able to travel between cities and cross check points on her own with two children! She could save some money and she was empowered.

PHCC’s team impression that this mother was empowered and became totally different person, she was so shy and not exposed, which helped her take good care of her child through his tough journey!

Adam was non- verbal till the age of 3 and used to scream and shout after midnight and whenever he was put to bed! That was so embarrassing especially with the neighbours!

Now Adam goes to a regular KG and is doing well.

He still needs behavioural therapy but his academic performance is very good. And his parents are so happy with his improvement and achievements.

Success Story 1

Ahmad’s parents first learned about the PHCC from a mother of a child with special needs who was served at the centre. Ahmad came to us when he was only three years and six months old. A special tailored-made plan was prepared immediately to meet Ahmad’s needs. After a detailed evaluation and diagnosis, Ahmad was diagnosed as a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In order to insure the development of Ahmad, an intensive rehabilitation plan that included Occupational therapy, behavioral and cognitive therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and special education conducted by a well-trained team was carried. Ahmad is now 10 years old. His six and a half year intervention plan consisted of 4 visits per week to the PHCC, 2 school visits per month and 1 home visit per month, in addition to continuous psychosocial intervention sessions and training for the family and support for the mother, and unlimited phone calls for consultation as well as training and sensitization sessions for school teachers and headmaster. The total number of intervention hours is 1,482.

Ahmad comes from a village that is only 15 kilometers away from Ramallah. During his time at the PHCC, Ahmad made 624 trips from his home to the centre and back. It took him almost 3 hours to cross the checkpoints and get to the centre. This accumulates to 1,872 hours on the road!

Ahmad received 1,482 hours of therapy and wasted 1,872 hours on the road and checkpoints in 6,5 years!!

Ahmad is currently integrated into a regular school; he’s now in the 5^th grade, doing well, a happy child and has friends.