At La Rabida, we take pride in being a one-stop shop for families. From developmental and rehabilitative therapies, specialized clinics, primary care services, among many others, we are able to give each child in the family the care they need to thrive. This is true for Matthew (15), Alex (3), and Lillian (1) who are all siblings that visit La Rabida, each for different reasons.

Matthew, the oldest sibling, was diagnosed with autism at one year old and type 1 diabetes right after he turned nine.

“Prior to his diabetes diagnosis, we noticed that his behavior was changing, and he was having mood swings,” explained Jasmine, mom to all three kids. “Because Matthew has autism, he is mostly non-verbal. He couldn’t tell us what was wrong.”

Jasmine’s motherly instincts knew something was up and she took him to the doctor where they learned Matthew had diabetes.

After Matthew’s diagnosis, Jasmine was on the search for a care team that would be hands-on. That’s exactly what she found in La Rabida. With services like one-on-one diabetes support, educational resources, and access to new technology, Matthew and Jasmine had found a partner in La Rabida as they began down this new journey. La Rabida’s 24-hour diabetes hotline has also been a resource that gave Jasmine some peace of mind.

“I appreciate that the team is always available. If we’re at home and something happens at 10 o’clock at night, it’s nice that we are able to call La Rabida and they can answer any of our questions. And we had a lot of questions, especially in the beginning,” shares Jasmine.

Matthew’s younger brother, Alex, later came to La Rabida for rehab services. Shortly after Alex was born, he was diagnosed with torticollis, a condition that impacts the muscles in the neck and causes the head to tilt or rotate to the side.

“Alex wasn’t turning his neck and wasn’t even attempting to crawl,” said Jasmine. Alex began visiting La Rabida for physical therapy to help improve his strength. “We started going once a week, and he just improved leaps and bounds,” recalled Jasmine. “After the first session, he started showing a lot of improvement.”

After around three months of therapy, Alex’s rehab team noticed his mobility and strength had improved so much that he no longer needed treatment.

Today, Matthew, Alex, and their baby sister, Lillian, continue to visit La Rabida, each for primary care in addition to seeing Matthew’s diabetes team.

“It is so convenient to get everything we need all at the same place,” shared Jasmine. “We love coming to La Rabida. Every time we visit, everyone is exceptionally nice to me and the kids. It’s care that you can’t get everywhere. It’s so genuine.”

This story was featured in the May 2021 issue of eCurrents. Read the full issue here.