The Beacon 2020 | Issue 2 The Beacon 2020 | Issue 2 | Page 4

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Lucy Dorner
By Alecia Doerner, Lucy’s Mom
When Lucy walks into Little Light House in the
morning, all the staff are greeted with a big hug, a
smile, and perhaps a few inquisitive questions. This
curly haired little girl brightens any room she walks
into. She is determined, loving, and a social butterfly.
Lucy is an overcomer.
Lucy was diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome
at 18 months. Because of this, Lucy tends to get
distracted and easily frustrated. She goes through
times of sleep disturbances, and has to work hard
to meet her milestones due to lower muscle tone.
Things that come naturally to typically developing
children are harder for her, but thanks to
her determined personality, she
continues to succeed and meet our
expectations daily.
When we first got the
diagnosis, it was
devastating. The geneticist
told us all the things Lucy
wouldn’t do, such as
she wouldn’t ever have
normal conversations
with us, or she wouldn’t
play sports or do activities
with her peers. We weren’t
given much hope for her
future. It felt like all of the
dreams we had for our daughter
were being crushed.
After speaking with the geneticist, we had
conversations with her neurologist and pediatrician.
They provided us with information that gave us a little
more hope. Then therapy was the next step. On day
one our therapist mentioned the Little Light House,
and advised us to put Lucy on the waiting list. We
ended up filling out an application and scheduling our
tour.
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Our first visit to Little Light House left us with more
hope and so much encouragement. We visited a class
and saw children learning typical preschool education.
These kids may have been different, but they were
smart and determined. We thought it was unique
that Little Light House had the skills, knowledge, and
technology to make learning adaptable for all abilities.
This wasn’t common in other programs.
We put Lucy on the waiting list at 19 months old, and
finally, after she turned 4, we got the call for placement
in a developmental classroom. Lucy has been at Little
Light House for two years and she is now dressing
herself. She has learned to stay in her chair during
class time. She can recognize her letters and sounds.
She is starting to color in the lines and write her name.
Last year, during Lucy’s first year at Little Light House,
Jamey Fox (her PT), my husband, and I set the goal of
Lucy being able to ride a bike and scooter. We wanted
her to be able to play with her sister and other kids
in the neighborhood. Jamey understood our
wish for Lucy to reach this goal and she
made it happen. She worked with
Lucy multiple times a week, and
by mid-year she was able to ride
her bike. She can now ride her
scooter and loves to skate.
If it weren’t for Little Light
House, Lucy would not be
in an environment of such
understanding. She would
have to attend more outside
therapy during after school
hours, which would mean less
time being a kid at home and more
expenses for us. She would probably
be more frustrated and wouldn’t have
the self control she has been working on this
past year. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about
that. We are so grateful and thankful that Lucy has a
place to feel understood and loved. We are so happy
that she is at a school that values her and helps her
just be a kid.
To the staff, thank you for your patience and care of
Lucy. You are making a difference. To the supporters,
the people who continue to give to Little Light House
through time and money, thank you. Because of you,
Lucy and her friends get to attend a school where they
are loved and accepted for who they are as individuals.
Thank you.
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