Three-year-old Hayami arrived at La Rabida this past June with a brain injury after an accidental incident. She couldn’t do anything on her own; she even needed help to lift her head. She couldn’t walk or talk, but as her mom, Monique, knows best, her daughter has resilience.  

“I was prepared to get medical equipment, go home, and take care of her for the rest of her life,” says Monique. “Now, I’m in awe of the progress she’s made since we got to La Rabida.”  

Hayami showed real strength from the start, even though she came across as a quiet, shy child. In addition to La Rabida’s comprehensive rehabilitation program, Monique says the environment and comfort they felt when they arrived at the hospital made a significant difference in her progress.  

“At first, I didn’t want to leave her side; I spent so many days hoping and hoping,” says Monique. “It didn’t take long for me to realize Hayami trusted her team. I knew whatever it took, we were going to make it work.”  

Hayami went from speaking just a few words to completing full sentences, and from limited movement to standing and walking on her own again. Claire is her speech-language pathologist, and says Hayami’s personality radiated with every session.  

“When we started working together, you could tell she was aware of what was going on, and was very responsive,” says Claire. “She’s inspiring; she’s so determined to keep trying something until she gets it.”  

One goal was to get Hayami to communicate what she was thinking. It had been weeks since Monique heard her daughter’s voice … and then it happened.  

“Claire had this box where you pull small toys out. Yami was scared to pull things out because she wasn’t sure about what to say,” says Monique. “Claire pulled out a car and asked her, ‘Do you know what this is? and she had a hoarse voice and said, “car…” That was the first thing I heard her say since the accident.”  

Since that moment, Hayami’s confidence soared. She can string full sentences together and has returned to the baseline language level of a 3-year-old child. After four months in the hospital, Hayami was discharged and now returns weekly for rehabilitation therapy appointments to work on motor functions like grip strength. She can walk again and is working on her balance and stability.  

“I’m grateful for the whole La Rabida team who worked with Yami. When we came home, she said, “This isn’t my home! I’m in cabin 15!” says Monique, referring to her hospital room number. “Thank you for making Yami feel like she has a home away from home.”