David Pyott, Gavin Herbert, UCP-OC CEO Cathleen Collins and Honoree James V. Mazzo

Assitant Emcees Reo & Brianna with James Mazzo

United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County’s Life Without Limits Gala was a major success with 370 guests and net proceeds estimated at over $425,000.  Held on April 28 at the Balboa Bay Club, the beautiful black tie gala honored James V. Mazzo, President of Abbott Medical Optics with the Impact Award for his community leadership and ongoing support of families of children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

A major announcement connected with Mazzo’s vision and support was United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County’s Cortical Vision Impairment Early Intervention Program in affiliation with The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine scheduled to open in fall 2012.

The gala theme, Through the Eyes of Child, was reflected with children ambassadors welcoming guests and by live performances by children with disabilities including the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra Ensemble Chamber Players. As guests entered the ballroom they were welcomed with many faces of children that make up UCP-OC.

Gala Co-chairs Matthew Maletta & Michele Maryott

Honorary co-chairs and former Impact awardees included Julia and George Argyros along with former David Pyott and his wife Julianna. Gala committee co-chairs were Michele Maryott, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Partner and Matthew Maletta, Allergan Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Secretary.

United Cerebral Palsy’s CEO Cathleen Collins shared her personal story of raising a daughter with disabilities and expressed her appreciation of the many healthcare professionals in attendance.

During the Cash for Kids Without Limits, United Cerebral Palsy supporter Bonner Paddock – who has cerebral palsy – announced a $100,000 matching gift through his OM Foundation.

Top auction items included a night at the Grammy Awards that generated $10,000, two Angels dugout suites were sold at $11,000 each and two dinner parties for 12 with Sapphire Grill Chef Azmin Ghahreman each brought in $5500.

Azalea, a teen who attends UCP-OC, invoked a true standing ovation in response to her beautiful piano piece.

From the moment guests were welcomed by the children ambassadors,  to the cookie endorned with a thank you note and a picture of a child the evening was magical. Guests entered the beautifully decorated ballroom,  The event also had a candy bar, photobooth (enjoyed by many), opportunity drawingsdined on delicious meal, filled their bags at the candy bar and photobooth (enjoyed by many)

UCP-OC introduced itself as an organization through a video comprised of CEO Cathy Collins, Dr. Simpson a principle investigator in our new vision program, board members and two influential families at UCP-OC.

To view more pictures please watch our slideshow! Click to view slideshow.

I hope this post finds you well, and that you are enjoying the beautiful month of May. I cannot believe the time has come for me to move back home for the summer! Finals are over, and my dorm room is all packed up and the walls are bare! It’s nice to realize how much I made this place my little home away from home. I am looking forward to coming back in the fall to take on a new year! This year has taught me so many things about myself, about my education and about the world around me. I can’t wait to explore this aspect of my life even more over the next three years! It feels like only last month that I started blogging on here about my new college experiences with CP and such. We are almost half way into 2012, wow!

I haven’t posted in awhile because I am just at the tail-end of my recovery from surgery, actually. About five weeks ago, I found out that a stress fracture in my non-CP foot was actually a broken bone that I had been walking and running on for about three weeks prior. So now I have a 3 inch metal pin in my foot, super weird! It was definitely a rough experience—I was dependent on my family and friends to help me get around since I couldn’t drive, or walk without crutches. You can imagine how weird it is to have to rely on my CP side to give me the balance and coordination to keep off of my injured “good” foot. I had to get used to something so unfamiliar to me in such a short amount of time, so I think my body was in shock from the recovery process and the amount of energy my CP side had to exert as well. All in all, I learned so much from this though. I learned that it is important to listen to your body’s signs, and I learned that it is okay to ask for help. I grew to love my school even more because I truly felt constant support and love from my classmates and even professors, and that has shown me how special Soka is as a college.

But even more than all of that, I think the biggest thing I could have taken away from the past few weeks is how lucky I am to have the ability to walk. I never complain much, but sometimes it is easy to get caught up in how “inconvenient” it is to have CP. Having my walking ability be so hindered by my surgery for a little over a month has really allowed me to reflect on my circumstances in comparison to those who have CP more severely. I went to San Francisco a few weekends ago, and while those hills nearly made my legs fall off, I still felt very happy that I could get around the city alongside my family. I admire the courage it takes to let go of your pride and vanity a little when you need to depend on others to get through the day. I am happy to say that I am back on my feet, with a boot on to secure my foot from becoming more injured, but I am surprised by how well my recovery went. I am very conscious of my body’s ability now more than ever, and plan to take on these next few weeks with great ease so I can work my way up to running again in time for the half marathon early next year.

I hope all of you have a great start to the coming summer months, and maybe have a fun vacation planned with the ones you love. I know I am looking forward to this season!

Best Wishes, Katy

This past week we sent out our spring letter that celebrates the AMAZING, INCREDIBLE,  REMARKABLE mothers and fathers that come to UCP-OC. Our letters tell the story of 3 families that utilize various programs and services. Every day we are in awe of our dedicated moms and dads, and we are daily inspired by their stories. THANK YOU for all that you do.  

Each story can be found at www.ucp-oc.org/empower, but here is a sneak peek of Brooklynne, a 2-year-old who comes to Therapy at UCP-OC:

“Every time I leave, I have more encouragement and hope in Brooklynne’s progress. UCP-OC has empowered me as a mom, I leave here with joy to see what more Brooklynne is capable of.”-Lynne

Brooklynne was born May of 2010, and a mere 3 months later in August she started having seizures. After numerous trips to the hospital and visits with specialists Brooklynne was diagnosed with Lissencephaly, a rare brain disorder in which the grooves on the brain do not form in the womb. Lissencephaly, also known as smooth brain, causes mental and developmental delays depending on the severity. Brooklynne’s parents, Gabe and Lynne, were told to get her in therapy immediately…”

To read more please click here.

Help us in celebrating our Mom’s this weekend by making a gift online at www.ucp-oc.org/empower

Liam is a very courageous little boy who will never be defeated, but will try something until he finishes it. His courageous spirit has inspired his nickname of “Little Lion Man” around his family. Liam can always be found with a smile on his face and laughter in his heart.

Liam was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy (CP) and left torticollis. His CP presents itself on his left-side, making daily tasks more challenging for him, and causes eating and speech impairments. After trying other therapy programs, he was referred to UCP-OC. “It was night and day” says his mother Gina, “When he comes to UCP-OC, he knows that we are trying to help.”  Liam currently attends physical therapy and occupational therapy at UCP-OC. The physical and occupational therapy has made a great difference in Liam’s symmetry of the left and right side of his body and his fine motor skills. His therapists are wonderful with Liam, and have made a significant impact on what Liam is able to do today.  

Recently, he started receiving speech therapy with Christine, and in only 2 months he has made tremendous strides. At the time of his evaluation he had only a few words, a few signs and rarely produced any sounds other than single vowel sounds when reaching for a desired object. In addition to his expressive language delays Liam presented with a facial asymmetry caused in part from his medical history of left torticollis and CP. Liam’s speech therapy is focused on stretching and strengthening of the oral muscles, creating a balance among the facial muscles, increasing the number of words and sounds he produces and making his speech sound clearer. Every week Liam has surprised us with new sounds and words and he has recently taken to performing some of his oral motor therapy on himself!

While speech therapy may look like fun and games to an outsider, each activity has a purpose behind it. Liam doesn’t realize that the chocolate pudding placed on his upper lip is being used to increase his lingual range of motion and strength, or that the lollypop inside his cheek is being used to release some of the excess tension, he just knows that it tastes yummy! All of our therapy is play based. Liam’s current favorite activity is taking the toys for a swim in the “wawa” where we have been able to add quite a few new words over a bucket of water.  Liam has surpassed all of his speech goals and is a true testament to the power of early identification, intervention and family involvement.

Gina says that Liam’s twin sister, Gianna, has also been a big part of Liam’s progress. Gianna is always pushing Liam to work harder at home and won’t let him give up. Liam loves to follow his sister around the house to prove that no matter what she does, he can do it too.    

Liam has been a fighter all of his life and with the help of UCP-OC, his family and of course his sister Gianna’s great example we know that there isn’t anything he couldn’t do!

If you would like to make a gift to support the services that are helping Liam and his family please click here or contact Elizabeth at ewylie@ucp-oc.org for more information.

For those of you that did not know, May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! UCP-OC will be celebrating by highlighting our special needs programs that tailor to kids with speech-language disabilities.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has been celebrating Better Hearing and Speech Month every May since 1927; and thanks to their continued effort, most people with speech and language problems can be helped by working together with a Speech-Language Pathologist, or SLP. At UCP-OC we have very gifted Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathologist Assistants. Our SLPs and SLPAs work with children to achieve better speech and hearing in a number of ways through improving oral motor strength and coordination to improve speech, working on breathing techniques to provide respiratory support for speech and building vocabulary for communication success

www.ucp-oc.org/gala

When: Saturday, April 28th 2012

Where: Balboa Bay Club and Resort, Newport Beach

Why: This is our key fundraising event of the year! Come and support our organization and children with disabilities.

Our Annual Gala will be held next Saturday, April 28th at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort. The evening will start at 6:00pm with a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner and live auction as well as music and live entertainment.

UCP-OC will honor James V. Mazzo, President of Abbot Medical Optics, for his resounding leadership and for supporting our collaborative efforts to bring about the United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County Early CVI Screening Program Collaboration with The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute of UC Irvine. The Vision Program is aimed at improving the diagnosis and rehabilitation of infants at risk for vision complications associated with CP as well as premature infants at risk for cortical visual impairment and decreased central vision resulting from prematurity.

It’s not too late to sign up! www.ucp-oc.org/gala

Make sure to check out our sneak peek of our Live Auction items on the website (link above)

We wouldn’t have been able to put on this amazing event if it wasn’t for our many sponsors!

For the month of April, we are having a very special Facebook Photo Contest!

During April, Autism Awareness Month, UCP-OC is partnering with Grandma Lucy’s premier pet food and will be raffling off a basket filled with Grandma Lucy’s all organic pet food and treats.

Here’s how you can enter:

1.      Post a picture of your child and your pet on our Facebook homepage.

2.      In the caption, comment on how UCP-OC has made a life without limits possible for your child.

3. You can also post a picture from online with a caption saying how UCP-OC makes a life without limits.

At the end of April, we will choose one winner who will receive this gift as well as an article dedicated to you in our blog!

The owner’s of Grandma Lucy’s, Eric and Breann Shook, have an amazing son who comes to UCP-OC for therapy and receives care from one of our inclusion facilitators to help him with school work. They have generously agreed to sponsor this event as well as donate 10% of their online sales to UCP-OC! Follow the link to start ordering!   http://www.grandmalucys.com/retail/

We would like to thank Eric, Breann and Hunter’s Grandma Tracie from the bottom of our hearts for their continued support of UCP-OC for generously donating to us as well as help spread the word about our organization.

Please support UCP-OC and all the families we help each and every day!

Dylan is a determined 4 year-old boy, who has a spirit filled with joy, and a face that is always adorned with a smile and the cutest dimples. To match his determination, he is quite the accomplished daredevil. Despite his young age and physical restrictions, at the age of three he learned to ride a bike so that he could ride with his older brother Max, who is a tremendous inspiration. He has also enjoys learning to ski with his twin sister, Maya. His big sister, Carly, keeps him inspired to play soccer as well.

After trying various therapy centers, Dylan’s family finally found UCP-OC and settled in immediately. In the past year and a half Dylan has been coming to UCP-OC, he has been working on relaxing and strengthening the compromised muscles that accompany his CP. Dylan’s cerebral palsy presents itself through resistance on the left side of his body in his foot, ankle, leg, scapula, arm, wrist, and hand, making some daily activities more difficult for him to accomplish.

At UCP-OC, he receives occupational and physical therapy to stretch and strengthen his affected muscles. His occupational therapist, Kristy, helps him with his fine motor skills, such as writing, coloring, working with Play-Doh, scissoring and buttoning shirts. She plays a game with him which she places a penny in the palm of his hand and he must try to grasp it with his fingers to strengthen the muscles in his fingers and hand.  Dylan’s physical therapist, Emily, helps Dylan’s flexibility and strength with activities like walking on the treadmill, “skateboarding” on his belly, and ascending and descending stairs. His mom, Sarah, says both therapists make sessions fun and engaging for Dylan and that he responds to the creative ways they find to keep him interested and challenged to do the work he needs to do.  She finds comfort in their genuine care and expertise. As an extension to the work UCP-OC does with Dylan, his mom does a variety of stretching exercises with him, and tries to keep him surrounded by a variety of other activities at home,  such as rope climbing and jumping on a trampoline. Dylan also enjoys other mainstream sports outside of UCP-OC, and has excelled in swimming, as well as gymnastics and dance.

His parents are very grateful for the genuine care and concern the therapists have for Dylan, and how they look out for him and his active future. His mother, Sarah, also appreciates UCP-OC’s administrative help managing insurance and financials. Another thing Sarah highlighted is how she appreciates the spacious, bright and clean lobby waiting area. This provides a place where she can take a moment to relax and connect with other parents. It also provides a place where Dylan’s twin, Maya, can play while waiting for her brother.

It is Sarah’s hope that with the help of therapy, Dylan will continue to participate in daily activities and enjoy a variety of sports (and hopefully music!) without CP getting in his way. To continue truly living his Life Without Limits-riding his bike with Max and his dad, skiing with Maya and playing soccer with Carly.

If you would like to make a gift to support the services that are helping Dylan and his family please click here or contact Elizabeth at ewylie@ucp-oc.org for more information.

When: Sunday, May 6, 2012

What: OC Marathon; 5K, full, or half marathon

Where: Newport Beach, Fashion Island

Hi Families,

If you haven’t heard yet UCP-OC will be participating in the OC Marathon yet again! This year Team UCP-OC Families will be running/walking alongside Team Jake’s 300+ runners.

At UCP-OC we know that every family has a story to tell, and we want to give each family the opportunity to tell it. By signing up for Team UCP-OC Families you can do this, spread the word about UCP-OC and help fundraise to support the many ways we serve the community of Orange County. Please sign up and join the many families walking in the 5K in celebration of the children in their lives that have benefitted from UCP-OC.

And, if running or walking isn’t for you, you can help our teams reach their fundraising goal by donating to our website or just volunteer to help pass out water and cheer on marathon runners!  

It is going to be a blast, and we can’t wait to see everyone there! 

• If you would like to join us, please register for the OC Marathon at www.ocmarathon.com (try to sign up for the 5k, that’s where most of us will be) and don’t forget to show support for UCP-OC by choosing us under “Charity Program”.
• If volunteering is more your style, please visit our website where you can sign up to volunteer or make a donation to one of our teams!
  
  
   

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Wylie at ewylie@ucp-oc.org

The Friday Night Club was created for the sole purpose of creating a safe place for upwards of 60 special needs teens and young adults to come, make friends, watch movies and spend time together. Poita saw that her 17 year-old son Andrew, who has autism, has few places or avenues in which to meet other teens like him. As her older children left for college, Andrew was left without his playmates, and his only friends. Poita and her daughter saw the need for a place for Andrew to “hang out” with friends just like typical teens do. This club that Poita and Natalie created gives special needs teens a place to thrive and become their own person in a safe environment. 

 Parents can see their children connect with peers right before their eyes, a dream many of them didn’t think would come true. They are grateful that their children have a place to go and belong. Their sons and daughters have gained independence and made leaps into their futures, because of the work Poita and her daughter have done.

 Each time this club meets, a life is impacted. Poita is making a difference in the lives of teens with special needs and helping them live a Life Without Limits.

**We were given the special opportunity to nominate Poita for an award from the CTK Foundation that would also result in a $5,000 grant for UCP-OC to continue programs like the Friday Night Club. This award celebrates those who give their time, commitment, and creativity a non-profit who touches their heart. Please vote for her and help support all the great work she has done for UCP-OC!

Follow this link http://www.facebook.com/CommunityTechKnowledge/app_251110341650571 and:

• Click “Like” in the top-right corner of the page         
• Click on the “Health and Human Services” Tab
• Scroll down to find United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County (we’re 9^th on the list)
• Click Vote AND share with your friends!