Making Headway – Patient Story (Molly)

Molly was a bright young elementary school student who excelled academically and was well-liked by her teachers and other students. One day she began feeling very sick and her family rushed her to the doctor. Molly had a brain tumor and required complex neurosurgery. She survived and recovered after several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.  Unfortunately, the tumor and the radiation had permanent side-effects that impacted her speech, hearing and cognitive abilities. Molly’s school was not equipped with the programs and services for children with these types of special health care needs. The family was referred to one of Making Headway’s expert Educational Specialist.

Over the next decade, Making Headway worked with the family, teachers, and school administration to ensure that Molly received all the complex services, accommodations and equipment she needed. In Molly’s case, this included a 1-on-1 health paraprofessional; hearing and vision education services; physical, occupational, and language therapies; and transportation. Molly recently earned her high school Regents diploma and is now looking forward to college.  With help from Making Headway, Molly was placed in the right environment and given the tools she needed to succeed.  For more stories visit, https://makingheadway.org/children/.

Note: For confidentiality reasons, the name of the patient has been changed.