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04-03-2007
Testimony on House Bill 119 - Jennifer Murray
Testimony on House Bill 119
Before the House Human Services Subcommittee
April 3, 2007
Presented By: Jennifer Murray
Mr. Chairman and Members of the House Human Services Subcommittee, my name is Jennifer Murray and I am the parent of a child with disabilities. I am here to share with you my experience with Help Me Grow and urge your support for this program by supporting increased funding for this program.
I have three children, one of whom received Help Me Grow services, which is my youngest, Shana. Shana has a congenital deformity of the left forearm and hand, epilepsy, speech and language delays, scoliosis, fine and gross motor delays, asthma, immune deficiency, leg length difference and allergies. This world was new to me, and Shana was new to this world. I still cannot find a doctor who has seen anything like her hand and arm. We go to Shriner’s Hospital in Pennsylvania to a hand surgeon and so far she has had two surgeries. When she was a baby, I had to change her dressings, do range of motion and splint her every feeding. They didn’t know if she would even walk or talk.
My early intervention worker helped me to understand this new world and where my daughter was at in this new world. One of my daughter’s therapists told me that my daughter, at 7 months old, was developmentally 2 months old. She didn’t agree with my goals for my daughter. She thought they were unrealistic but my EI worker validated my goals and concerns. I got a new therapist and at 10 months old, she sat up and at 13 months she walked -- she skipped crawling. My EI worker helped me learn to advocate for what I believed my daughter needed and how to maneuver in this new world. Shana is now in second grade and is on the student council. I know she would not be were she is if it had not been for Help Me Grow.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my support for Help Me Grow. I urge you to support Help Me Grow by supporting increased funding for this program. I would be happy to answer any questions at this time.
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