Cantron first arrived at La Rabida in March primarily to develop healthier lungs. But, as with all our patients, we do so much more for him as part of our comprehensive, wholistic approach to caring for our kids.

In addition to respiratory care, Cantron receives physical, occupational, and speech therapies. He also has an Infant Development Specialist who works to ensure he’s improving his social-emotional, developmental, and cognitive skills just like any other growing baby.

He currently has a tracheostomy, ventilator, and gastronomy tube (g-tube). Because he has a speaking valve, Cantron can express himself vocally, and LOVES to make noise! Even with all this, he’s an incredibly happy, sociable, one-year-old boy who loves to play and interact with his family, care team, and volunteers.

One of Cantron’s favorite activities is his weekly outdoor walk with his mom. These walks require a lot of support from his care team to ensure he remains stable throughout the entirety of the outing. His mom, Candace, is so appreciative and is thrilled when she and Cantron can get some fresh air together. “The team has been very helpful and supportive of Cantron and our family,” she said.

Cantron has also had several eye surgeries to treat his retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition that affects the tissue at the back of the eye called the retina. With ROP, unwanted blood vessels grow on the baby’s retina and can cause serious eye and vision problems. With every improvement in his vision, Cantron’s care team works to help him recognize and give meaning to the new things that he can see and understand, including people, objects, and activities.

While here, Cantron’s parents have been intimately involved in his care, working to be fully trained to care for him on their own. “We do bedside training in tandem with actual classes, which helps his mom and dad overcome any uncertainties long before he’s ready to go home,” says Angelica Atian, Infant Development Specialist. “This makes the learning process easier to comprehend and more applicable to what daily life might entail for Cantron outside of La Rabida.”

According to Candace, the specialized care and personal attention that La Rabida gives Cantron, and all its patients was evident from the moment they arrived. “After spending time at our first location, we were very happy to be at La Rabida. Everyone on Cantron’s care team is very helpful and provides a huge comfort to me.”

Today, Cantron is working to get used to his adaptive seating, and so far, thinks its super fun and exciting. We can’t wait to watch as he continues to grow and achieve more milestones every day.