This year is a little different as we all know.  We are all tired of the pandemic and want things to get back to normal.  This year the BellRunner program is virtual.  Regardless how tired we are The Bell Center still needs us.  I am late to the game but I want to help them reach their goal.  We have to keep going.  

I am riding in HONOR of Ella Rose!  I would like to provide you an update on her.  She is blind and only able to distinguish between light and dark.  But that has not stopped her from doing anything she wants.  To name a few things she is in to does not do justice to all she really does.  We are so proud of all that she has accomplished this far and look forward to seeing what comes next.  

First, a couple of years ago Anne Martha's parents got back in to snow skiing.  For Ella Rose, Anne Grace, and me it was our first time trying this activity.  Ella Rose joined a program called Challenge Aspen based in Snowmass, CO.  They assist disabled people learn to ski.  They have guides and all sorts of devices to assist anyone with any sort of disability.  Ella Rose has progressed to skiing without the assistance of a pole held by her instructor.  Her instructor guides her by telling her directions on the slopes.  Eventually Ella Rose will wear a headset in her helmet to receive audio cues as she moves down the slopes.  We have seen other blind folks skiing while we were there and it is awesome to watch.  

Second, if anyone knows Ella Rose they know her love for horses.  During pre-K at Cahaba Heights Elementary she was introduced to "Indiana" the assistant principle's horse.  He also introduced us to the Forward in Faith Ranch.  The operator of this ranch was the equestrian instructor for AIDB in Talladega, AL for many years.  So she knows exactly the type of instruction that Ella Rose needs to successfully learn to ride.  Ella Rose has been riding for over a year now and has recently joined their "Riding Club" and will compete in shows against other programs in the coming months.  It is scary and exciting to watch at the same time.  

Lastly, just a few other things she has accomplished over the last several years:  Rock Climbing and running a 1 mile road race for the Mercedes Marathon Kids Marathon.  A few other things on her bucket list include swimming with dolphins and skydiving.  We will see about the skydiving!  I am not helping with that one!  

All this is to say that she would not be anywhere without the start The Bell Center provided Ella and us, her parents.  When you find out you have a child with a disability you don't know where to start or what to do.  Not only does The Bell Center assist the children they serve they give the parents a place to connect with other parents in similar situations.  The kids get the instruction they need and the parents get a support group that lasts long after the children leave The Bell Center.   

The Bell Center is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental delay.  The staff of The Bell Center begins the work of maximizing a childs potential as soon as the child is evaluated. This evaluation assesses a childs strengths and weaknesses across five developmental domains: gross motor, fine motor, expressive and receptive language, cognition and emotional/social. From this assessment, each member of the childs transdisciplinary team develops goals in each area specific to that child.The Bell Center follows a transdisciplinary approach to providing early intervention services. This allows all areas of the childs development to be targeted every time they are at The Bell Center. Through this frequent targeting of developmental goals comes success as goals are achieved. As one goal is mastered, the next appropriate goal is is targeted, ensuring that the child is always striving to maximize their potential.