The days are long. The years are short. And the moments in between are always worth celebrating at La Rabida.

This month staff celebrated how far 3-year-old Carter has come in the six months he’s been onboard as an inpatient.

Not only is he now able to vocalize his wants and needs with a new “button,” he’s also celebrating big milestones like not needing a ventilator to breathe anymore.

“It shows how much our kids can do,” says speech therapist Jenny Winberg, who has been working closely with Carter since the beginning. She takes him for walks by the lake, and he can now use an AAC to tell her when he wants to make his stroller “go!” The AAC is an augmentative and alternative communication device.

48 hours after Carter got off the ventilator, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Hoehn planned a party to celebrate. Carter got to taste icing from a cupcake for the very first time, and couldn’t stop licking his lips wanting more.