Meet Aleia!

 

Aleia is a cheerful three-year-old girl who was born a micropreemie and has cerebral palsy.  As a result, Aleia cannot walk, has cortical visual impairment, and is only able to sit with assistance.  Aleia is not deterred by her problems and she moves around her home by combat crawling.  The brave girl really wants to express herself through speech, but she uses a trach and talking is almost impossible.  Nevertheless, Aleia is not discouraged, and continues to try speaking despite her challenges. Aleia’s family loves to hear her joyful laughter.

Aleia really gets excited when she plays peek-a-boo. Aleia’s laughter is infectious and everyone wants to play with the little sweetie! Aleia’s family also reads to her while she flips the pages.  Some of her favorite books include, “Goodnight Moon” and “Pete the Cat,” but her favorite kind of books are audio books or those with tactile pages. She loves when she can touch the pages and experience the story through different textures.  Aleia also loves music and her favorite song is “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. The song title is analogous to Aleia’s courageous resolve and she is a source of inspiration for everyone.

Aleia needs an adaptive tricycle. She uses one during therapy sessions and loves the fun exercise! An adaptive tricycle of her own will allow Aleia to increase her muscle strength, coordination and mobility at home. Please help Aleia so that she can blaze a trail towards a better life!