As a pediatric speech therapy clinic serving Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, we see children every day with a variety of different needs. For some, their speech and language delays are just one part of a larger medical issue. Because of this, Lil’ Chit-Chat has chosen to support two charities that are making a difference in the lives of children and families locally and around the world.
March of Dimes
March of Dimes is an amazing organization that has been around for many years (since 1938 to be exact). It was originally founded to combat polio, but has since redirected its focus to globally help prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Many of the children we work with were born prematurely, a factor that can have significant effects on a child’s overall development, including their speech and language development.
In the early days of Lil’ Chit-Chat, we had a young client whose family was very involved with the March of Dimes organization. This client was an amazing little girl who had been born prematurely at 28 weeks. Our therapists helped her with feeding, as she was on a g-tube, as well as with communication. It is in her honor that Lil’ Chit-Chat supports the March of Dimes and all of the great work they do.
Mitchell Thorp Foundation
Another great organization our speech therapy clinic supports is the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. This foundation was founded to support families with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses, diseases, and disorders. They are a financial and emotional resource for many families in California, providing individualized medical aid and help in purchasing wheelchair accessible vehicles.
We first learned about the Mitchell Thorp Foundation from another one of our speech therapy clients—a young boy with a seizure disorder and global developmental delays. Despite his various struggles, he is a true joy to work with. He works hard and has great support from his family.
Many of the treatments he requires are not covered by insurance, so the Mitchell Thorp Foundation has been a great resource for his family. We know there are countless families like this one, who are committed to providing the best care for their children but financially strapped. It is in these situations that the Mitchell Thorp Foundation steps in with support.
There are many more worthy organizations out there, and we wish we could support them all; however, we’ve seen firsthand how these two charities are making a difference in the lives of our speech therapy clients, which is why we have chosen to donate to their causes. If you feel so inclined, we hope you will join us in supporting the work of the March of Dimes and the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. You can find out more about both of the organizations by clicking on the links above.
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