Dr. Gabriel retires after helping hundreds of DSCC youth through free orthopedic clinics.

Eleven-year-old Bayan sat quietly in an exam room during a recent orthopedic assessment clinic hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). A huge smile flashed across her face as Dr. Keith Gabriel walked into the room.

He clasped her hand in his and gently leaned down to tell her goodbye after eight years of care for issues related to her scoliosis and cerebral palsy.

“We’ve very sad to see him go,” Bayan’s father, Jaouad, said. “He’s helped her a lot.”

Dr. Gabriel, an orthopedic surgeon with HSHS Medical Group in Springfield, is retiring after 16 years of providing free orthopedic assessment clinics to DSCC participants in east-central and southern Illinois.

“DSCC has been fortunate to partner with Dr. Gabriel to provide thorough and compassionate care for children in our program with muscle, bone and joint issues,” DSCC Executive Director Tom Jerkovitz said. “Dr. Gabriel’s clinics provided a valuable service to our families and a convenient option for youth who live far from Springfield and have difficulties traveling there.”

Dr. Gabriel saw 19 patients during his last DSCC-sponsored clinic at Christie Clinic in Urbana on May 4. The youth and their families all signed a thank-you poster. DSCC staff also treated Dr. Gabriel to a potluck lunch with his favorite pizza and cake to thank him and celebrate his retirement.

Dr. Gabriel said he’s enjoyed working DSCC and praised how we fulfill our mission to partner with Illinois families and communities to help children with special healthcare needs connect to services and resources.

“I’m very impressed with the dedication of the Care Coordinators and think this is truly a service that benefits the state of Illinois,” he said.

Dr. Gabriel first started working with DSCC participants from the East St. Louis area while he worked at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis from 1989 to 1999.

In 2002, he took a job in Springfield with SIU School of Medicine and began partnering with DSCC to provide orthopedic assessment clinics for youth served by our Champaign, Olney and Marion regional offices, all at no cost to the families.

In recent years, Dr. Gabriel’s clinics typically drew children from Champaign, Vermilion, Douglas, Macon, Iroquois, Kankakee and McLean counties. Some attendees were in need of routine checks and monitoring for bone or joint problems while others were referred by physical therapists who observe a possible issue. Dr. Gabriel also checked children’s orthotics, Ankle Foot Orthosis braces, wheelchairs and so on to make sure they are not outgrowing the devices and make adjustments for any pain or discomfort.

Dr. Gabriel has treated hundreds of DSCC youth, many since their earliest years of life.

“At the DSCC clinics, the nature of what we see is chronic conditions,” he said. “We grow up together, or I grow old while they grow up. These children I’ve known since they were babes in arms.”

DeAnn Pribble says her son Aiden Stricklin has seen Dr. Gabriel for as long as she can remember. Aiden is 15 and has hydrocephalus and spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

“(Dr. Gabriel) does a good job of being outgoing for the kids and making visits fun for them,” she said. “He’s also very thorough.”

Twelve-year-old Khalil has also seen Dr. Gabriel since birth. He and his mom, Candice, say they’ve appreciated Dr. Gabriel’s bedside manner.

“He doesn’t just speak directly to me. He speaks to Khalil and makes sure he understands what’s going on,” Candice said. “We’re definitely going to miss him.”

Dr. Gabriel said he’s been honored to work with DSCC families and looks forward to continuing to serve on our Medical Advisory Board.

Visit our Facebook page to see photos from Dr. Gabriel’s last DSCC-sponsored clinic.

A variety of overnight and day camps are available throughout Illinois.

Are you looking for fun and engaging activities to help your child make new friends, develop new skills and foster their independence?

Our Care Coordinators and support staff have helped compile a list of day and overnight summer camp opportunities across the state that are designed for a variety of special needs and abilities, including many of our program’s eligible medical conditions.

The list of 2018 summer camp activities is available on our events calendar, where you can see opportunities listed for each month.

You may also search for events in your area by clicking on a regional office near you.

Comments for the proposed medically fragile, technology dependent waiver amendment are due June 9.

The state invites families to provide their input for an amendment to the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver for children who are medically fragile and technology dependent. This waiver is operated under the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS).

The amendment is necessary to provide for the statewide expansion of its mandatory managed care delivery system to all 102 counties in Illinois.

Families who would like to view the waiver amendment may do so in the following ways:

• Electronically at https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/SiteCollectionDocuments/MFTDPublic2018.pdf.
• A hard copy  may be requested by calling (217) 557-0997.
• Copies are also available at the following locations:
  • Healthcare and Family Services
    201 South Grand Avenue East
    Springfield, IL 62763OR
  • Healthcare and Family Services
    401 S. Clinton St.
    Chicago, IL 60607

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) also has copies of the waiver amendment for families to review at the following DSCC regional offices:

• Chicago Home Care
• Lombard
• Springfield

Comments may be submitted through June 9. Comments may be sent through the following methods:

1. Email to HFS.HCBSWaiver@illinois.gov
2. Mailed to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
   Attn: Waiver Management
   201 South Grand Avenue E., 2nd Floor
   Springfield, IL 62763

A summary of the public notice and comments will be incorporated into the amendment. The summary will include modifications to the initial waiver amendment and the reasons why the State of Illinois adopted or did not adopt specific comments or recommendations.

Report explains our mission and highlights our progress.

UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) partners with Illinois families and communities to help children and youth with special healthcare needs connect to services and resources. Our fiscal year 2017 Annual Report explains how we fulfill this mission and the impact it has on families. The report also highlights the progress we’ve made toward our vision that children and youth with special healthcare needs and their families are at the center of a seamless support system that improves the quality of their lives.

The FY 2017 Annual Report covers July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. During that time, DSCC served more than 18,300 families. Our organization also began to celebrate 80 years as the state’s designated organization to serve children and youth with special healthcare needs.

We hope this report can help you better understand our commitment to children and families and the important work we do.

Click here to read the report.

Popular movie about a boy with craniofacial differences strikes a chord with DSCC participants.

The hit movie “Wonder,” based on a best-selling book about a boy named Auggie with profound facial differences, has moved audiences across the country with its message of kindness and acceptance. The movie is particularly emotional for children and families who’ve experienced many of the movie’s lessons and themes firsthand through their own experiences with a craniofacial condition.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) program served more than 1,600 youth with craniofacial anomalies and other disfiguring conditions in fiscal year 2017. Several of these youth and their families in our program have shared their thoughts about “Wonder” with their local media and the impact they hope the film will have on others. Click below for those stories:

• Emily Cihla shared her thoughts and experiences with several Chicago media outlets –
  • ABC7 Chicago, “Teen Talks About Having Treacher Collins Syndrome”
  • Chicago Sun-Times, “Teen Hopes Wonder Film Will Inspire Others with Rare Syndrome”
  • NBC Chicago, “Foundation Brings Smiles to Kids with Facial Conditions”
• Kinley Winningham’s parents spoke with ABC Newschannel 20 – “Wonder Brings Hope to Local Parents”
• Tikyle Yates spoke with the Chicago Tribune– “Kids with craniofacial conditions hope film ‘Wonder’ will nurture awareness in others”

These teens and families did a wonderful job of promoting awareness about their condition and the importance of inclusion and understanding. Great job to all!

Financial assistance and resources from DSCC helped Payton’s family pay for modifications to their home and vehicle so he can stay active.

Eight-year-old Payton was born with a gene mutation so rare that it doesn’t have a name. The condition affects the STXBP1 gene and causes seizures, developmental delays, nonverbal communication and abnormal muscle movements.

“There are less than 250 people (with the mutation) that we know of worldwide,” Payton’s mom, Kristy, explained. “It is almost like a spectrum-type diagnosis… Doctors just don’t know much about it.”

What Payton’s family does know is that his symptoms are severe. He cannot walk or sit up and is nonverbal. However, he has no problem letting his happy, easygoing personality shine through. Payton loves his little sister, Hunter, and doing special extracurricular activities, like horseback riding and water therapies.

Kristy says the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) has helped provide the accommodations, equipment and resources needed to help Payton stay active and comfortable as he grows.

Payton became enrolled with DSCC six years ago. His family qualified for financial assistance from DSCC to install a ramp in their home for Payton’s wheelchair.

“He’s getting bigger, and we were starting to have difficulties getting him in and out of our vehicle and his car seat,” Kristy said. “I contacted (our Care Coordinator) Beverly and she told me about the ways DSCC could help.”

DSCC was able to provide some financial assistance to modify the van with a lift, but the remaining price tag was still too expensive for the family to afford. Beverly then used her connections within the community to link Payton’s family with two charitable organizations to pay most of the remaining cost.

“Beverly went above and beyond,” Kristy said. “It’s been awesome. Now I can wheel him in and strap him down, and it’s so much easier without having to get him out of the chair and do multiple transfers.”

The modification helps the family of four’s busy lifestyle, especially now that Payton is in second grade and is increasingly involved in activities outside of the home.

Kristy said DSCC’s assistance and Beverly’s patience and hard work have helped make her family’s lives much easier. She also values Beverly’s knowledge of community resources and services and encourages other families to work with DSCC and ask what may be available to help their family.

“If Beverly wasn’t able to help with something, she can always point me in the right direction of where I could turn,” she said. “You just need to ask the question, and don’t be afraid to ask.”

 

DSCC families in need receive gifts and necessities from our generous community partners.

Partnerships are a crucial part of our mission to help children and youth with special healthcare needs connect to services and resources. For 80 years now, DSCC staff has developed relationships with social service agencies and community organizations across the state to help improve the lives of our children and families. During this holiday season, we are especially grateful for our community partners who’ve stepped up to ensure that some of DSCC’s neediest families have a merry Christmas.

In the Springfield Regional Office, Care Coordinator Robin Mahnken worked together with the Salvation Army in Jacksonville and her dedicated team of colleagues to deliver piles of wrapped presents for a sick 1-year-old in our program and her three siblings. The girl was born with Down Syndrome and a heart impairment that required surgery a few months later. In November, she developed an upper respiratory infection and was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator.

Robin has stayed in close contact with the girl’s mother since her admission to the hospital and learned the family is greatly strained financially. During the first week of December, the mother asked Robin to help find any available Christmas assistance for her children. Though the deadlines for many local charities’ assistance programs had already expired, Robin spoke with a director at the Salvation Army, who made arrangements for Robin to “shop” their facility for items on each of the children’s wish lists while the mother stayed at her daughter’s side in the pediatric intensive care unit.

“I anticipated receiving an article of clothing and one or two toys for each child.  I was overwhelmed by all of the gifts selected.  Volunteers called to me from every direction suggesting this or that for one of the children,” Robin said. “The director kept telling me I hadn’t selected enough.  I left with a carload of toys and clothing.”

With the mother in no position to wrap gifts at the hospital, Robin snapped photos of the items to show the mother and wrapped them herself. Robin saved the little girl’s packages to be wrapped by Springfield RO staff during their holiday party this week. Springfield RO members also donated funds to purchase a Walmart gift card for the family. Robin and her husband, with the family’s permission, delivered four huge bags of wrapped presents and the gift card to the appreciative family on Wednesday night.

At our Lombard Regional Office, staff members have developed a special bond with their building neighbor, Hope Fellowship. This bond was strengthened last year when Pastors Jeff Brewer and Jon Trott helped the office cope with the difficult loss of their assistant regional manager, who passed away unexpectedly in November 2016. The pastors’ support of the Lombard RO has continued ever since and earlier this month, Pastor Jeff asked Program Coordinator Assistant Kim Firkins if any DSCC families in the Lombard office’s coverage area need extra help during this year’s holidays.

Kim worked with the Lombard office’s managers and assistant managers to check with staff for families in need. Staff suggested a total of eight families, and Kim collected information about each family member and provided it to Hope Fellowship. Hope Fellowship’s parishioners purchased gifts for each family member. Their gifts include diapers, wipes, a homemade fleece blanket, pajamas, DVDs, gloves, hats and a generous assortment of gift cards for gas, groceries and various stores and restaurants. Hope Fellowship also provided stockings for each child and parent.

Kim coordinated the receipt of gifts, and Lombard’s Care Coordinators are delivering the items to the families.

Further north at our Rockford Regional Office, a Care Coordinator learned that a toddler was being discharged from a transitional care facility earlier this month after being separated from her family for a year.

“This little one became part of a bustling home of five brothers and sisters who were overjoyed to welcome her home,” her Care Coordinator Shan Johnson said.

On Dec. 14, the toddler’s mother told Shan that she had no Christmas presents for the children.

Shan contacted the Rockford Salvation Army, who “without hesitation” opened their doors for Shan and let her into their warehouse on a Sunday afternoon to handpick gifts for the children. They even provided gift bags.
“I will never walk past a (Salvation Army) red kettle again without thinking about this happy miracle,” Shan said.

A big thank you to these organizations, our staff and all of our community partners for their support and service to our families throughout the year!

Miguel and Carlos spend time with Club America soccer team, thanks to their DSCC care coordination team.

One of the main ways that UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) helps children with special healthcare needs and their families is through a process called care coordination.

Our care coordination addresses each child and family’s unique needs. It can include helping a family understand their child’s diagnosis or connecting a family in need of financial assistance with the right resource. Sometimes, our care coordination involves providing experiences that simply help a special needs child be a kid.

A care coordination team from DSCC’s Chicago Core Regional Office recently used their creativity to provide one such priceless experience to two brothers with muscular dystrophy.

Miguel, 17, and Carlos, 14, are big soccer fans who live near Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The park hosts major league soccer games with players from around the world, and the teens had hoped to meet the Mexican soccer team Club America.

Miguel and Carlos’ mother reached out to their Care Coordinator Rita DeSoto and Program Coordinator Assistant Maria Carrera to see if they could help.

Maria invited their mother to the Chicago Core office to sign authorizations so she could contact the team’s marketing and promotions manager on her behalf. Rita was able to reach the manager two days before the game and with the family’s permission, wrote a letter detailing Miguel and Carlos’ condition and why they wanted to meet the team.

Thanks to Rita and Maria’s efforts, the teens were able to meet the team and take photographs and collect autographs from their favorite players. Their mother reported that they were “surprised, grateful and overjoyed.”

“Each day freedoms such as walking, running, playing, laughing, eating and breathing can be taken away from children with muscular dystrophy,” Chicago Core Regional Manager August Nall said. “The Care Coordination team communicated the family’s needs at the right time to the right people and they were able to secure a service the family wanted.”

Great work, Rita and Maria!

DSCC’s dedicated and experienced parents share advice in honor of National Family Caregivers Month.

National Family Caregivers Month in November recognizes the real-life heroes who selflessly care for their loved ones and relatives. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Caregiving Around the Clock.” We at UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) know that caring for children with special needs is truly a 24-7 job with an emotional and physical toll like no other.

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, we asked members of our Family Advisory Council to share their advice to help other parents and caregivers manage the stress and make sure their own emotional and physical health is not neglected. Read on for some great tips and helpful insights from two of our dedicated and experienced parents, in their own words.

Elizabeth Curry

Being the parent of a child with special needs can be exhausting. It can feel as though it takes every ounce of your energy and resources, with little left over. While we all want the best for our children, and to do our best to help them reach their full potential, doing so at the risk of our own mental and emotional well-being is counterproductive. We cannot be the advocates and supports that our children need if we are barely functioning ourselves. I have several children with a variety of needs, and over the years have learned the hard way that it is vital that I take care of myself as well as my children. Here are some of the ways I have found that help me to recharge:

1. Build a support system. You need other people in your life who understand your challenges and are there for you. I know this is often not an easy task, as parenting a child with special needs can be extremely isolating. Ideally, your support system includes other special needs parents, as they ‘get it’, as well as others who support you even if they don’t have first-hand experience. It is important to have a friend whom you can call and burst into tears at. It is important to have people who can be yours and your child’s cheerleader. It is just important to have other people in your life. Building such a support system can take time and effort. I am particularly aware of this since we recently moved from a place we have lived for over 25 years to an entirely new area. I left a large support system where I had a lot of social capital, and am now faced with building it all from scratch.
2. Take care of yourself. This means that you do your best to get enough rest, eat foods that are good for you, and get some exercise. In order to help our children, we need to be functioning. All too often, we let our children’s needs take priority while our emotional and physical health suffers. This does not help our children. I find the exercise piece to be particularly challenging, but there was one particularly stressful time in my life where I took up running. I needed both the time alone and the physical activity to give me a small window where I wasn’t dealing with the unpleasant things that were taking up all my time. It gave me just enough breathing room to get through the hard stuff.
3. Do something just for you. I love to make things… sew, knit, spin, cook, etc. I also love to read. If I can carve out a small portion of my day to make something and to read, I am a significantly happier person, and consequently a much better parent as a result. Doing these things reminds me that I am more than just a parent to my children, even as much as I love that particular role. Doing things which bring me joy refreshes and energizes me.

Elizabeth Curry is a mother of 12 children, five of whom were adopted: two from Vietnam and three from China. She hopes that by sharing her family’s experiences she can encourage others in the trenches. When she is not taking care of children, Elizabeth writes, homeschools, sews, teaches piano, and loves reading. She also has her own blog, Ordinary Time.

 Cassie Gluck

1. It takes a village to raise a child, especially one with special needs. Reach out to organizations who might help with respite care and gather a network of family or friends who you feel comfortable with to watch your child(ren). Caregivers need time away to de-stress. Remember to treat yourself.
   

   Cassie is the mother of two sons – Kayden, 1, and Noah, who is 5 and diagnosed with a fatal neurodegenerative disease simply known as KIF1a disorder.

2. To keep a clear mind, I find it helpful to write down my appointments and tasks on a calendar and dry erase board. It helps me stay on task and prioritize. Organizing thoughts, ideas and assignments will help with the everyday anxiety attached to having a special needs child or any family really.
3. Make sure you are able and fit enough to lift those sweet babies by exercising and eating healthy. It may sound cliche but by choosing an active activity you can do either by yourself or with the family can keep you in shape to better care for others.

What I would suggest to a person with a new diagnosis: reach out! There are others out there with the same diagnosis, even if it is rare.  Can’t find anything? Start your own support group. Two years ago, when my son was diagnosed with an extremely rare diagnosis, I created the first Facebook support group in hopes to reach other families. This led to KIF1a.org and a path towards learning more about KIF1a associated neurological disorders.  You are not alone.

Cassie is the mother of two sons –  Kayden, 1, and Noah, who is 5 and diagnosed with a fatal neurodegenerative disease simply known as KIF1a disorder. She is an advocate of the KIF1a organization (http://www.kif1a.org/) and the founder of a KIF1a Facebook support group She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and is working toward her master’s degree in professional counseling.

“A powerful true story about trusting your instincts, holding onto hope and never, ever giving up.”

After her son, Nixon, was diagnosed with a rare, fatal disease, Kristin Skenderi started blogging and sending her family and friends regular email updates about his condition.

“I wanted Nixon one day to know what he went through,” Kristin recalled.

Her blog posts, emails and journal entries were the early drafts of what was to become a book detailing the Skenderi family’s experiences treating Nixon’s disease and the lessons they’ve learned. “Holding Hope in Our Hands,” was published in September and launched last month.

“I put myself in front of the computer and it took me three years,” Kristin said of the writing process. “It’s a powerful true story about trusting your instincts, holding onto hope and never, ever giving up.”

Nixon was born without an enzyme that helps the brain develop, Kristin explained. At just a few months old, he was diagnosed with Gaucher Disease Type 2, which hindered his breathing, swallowing and neurological development and enlarged many of his organs. Doctors said he likely wouldn’t live past 3 years old.

Kristin said the devastating news put her in survival mode and she began a quest to research every treatment option available. Nixon later received a stem cell transplant and has also benefited from acupuncture, equestrian therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce or stave off some of the effects of his disease, Kristin said.

On Nov. 1, Nixon turned 4 during a trip to Disneyworld through the Make-A-Wish Program. It was the first birthday he was able to spend outside of the hospital.

Kristin’s book details each step of their journey to help Nixon progress to where he is today. She credits the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) with providing the support her family needed so she could have time to research treatment and therapy options for Nixon and write about their experiences.

Nixon is enrolled in the Home Care Program, which DSCC operates on behalf of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The Home Care Program allows youth who require skilled in-home nursing to remain in their family home rather than a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

“The things (DSCC) can offer and help us with – it’s been huge,” Kristin said.

DSCC arranged for the installation of new electrical outlets in the Skenderi’s home to handle Nixon’s medical equipment. DSCC also covered the cost for an exterminator as well as a wheelchair ramp for the family’s home.

“It’s amazing that there’s a resource out there for families like us,” Kristin said. “Because those things were taken care of by (their Care Coordinator) Beth, I didn’t have to worry about it and it gave me more time and effort to work on trying to find solutions for Nixon.”

You can learn more about Nixon and his family’s journey on their Facebook page.

“If this book helps the average, regular person look at life a little bit differently, or I can find that one family who was ever put in a situation like ours and give them courage to fight a little harder, then this book was 100 percent worth it,” Kristin said.

Congratulations, Skenderi family!