Today, 3-year-old Alex makes his way around the playground with his favorite green wheelbarrow. While his classmates choose to run around, dig in the sand pit, or attempt the monkey bars, Alex is content to fill his wheelbarrow with bark from the playground. He stops by the play structure to sweep up the bark that has started to cover the steps. His classmates come to help and Alex patiently waits for them to chip in. They don’t stay long. Alex uses his jacket sleeve to gently sweep the last couple of pieces into the wheelbarrow. He’s satisfied with his work and rolls along to another part of the playground to find more. Keeping the playground clean and tidy is a full-time job, and Alex is happy to play his part.
Alex has been enrolled at Wilder’s Child Development Center (CDC) since 2022, and his mother JoAnna can’t imagine her son anywhere else. “Alex loves plants and the teachers,” JoAnna shares, “now that his brother has graduated from the CDC, the focus is on him. Now the teachers say ‘Alex, your mom is here!'”
A Mother’s Intuition
Alex’s older brother, 5-year-old Tyaries, nicknamed Ty, recently graduated from the CDC and is currently attending Pre-K. “Ty loves the big school bus. He’s always ready to get on,” JoAnna adds. There was a time though, when JoAnna was worried about Ty’s ability to participate and enjoy school.
Just a few years ago, JoAnna had a hunch that Ty might have a hearing impairment. She believed that he wasn’t fully understanding her when they were together. “He would look confused, and I was feeling frustrated as a new mom. It would feel like I was yelling at him, but it was because I wasn’t sure if he could hear me,” JoAnna said.
“JoAnna reached out to Ty’s teachers at the CDC if there was any way they could help him get tested. ‘I don’t have a car, so for Wilder to be able to test him at school, was so helpful,’ she said.”
The hearing screening confirmed JoAnna’s intuition that her son had a hearing impairment. Working together with Wilder staff, JoAnna and her son took steps to learn how to communicate better by learning ASL, utilizing picture cards, and eventually getting Ty ear tubes.
“Before the ear tubes, he would have to point or yank on someone’s sweater. He didn’t believe people would understand him. He also couldn’t understand me or his teachers,” JoAnna said.
Since the diagnosis, and receiving ear tubes, Ty’s behavior has shifted. He is more aware of the world. He points out to his mom all the sounds he hears, like cars and trains. The world feels so much more vibrant to him.
JoAnna reflects on her family’s journey, “Even though we went through obstacles including COVID, Wilder helped me learn and understand that challenges happen, that kids have problems, that everyone has problems – but they’re able to be overcome with communication and asking for help. We’re all in this together – most definitely.”
JoAnna is thankful to have had a support system of people, including the Wilder staff who never stopped wanting to help. “It felt like a load off of my back as a parent. I had just moved from Minneapolis to St. Paul and needed support,” JoAnna said. She hopes all parents can find a community to help them find what they need, just like her.
“Alex, Your Mom’s Here!”
It’s 3 p.m. and Alex has not fully woken up from his nap. JoAnna and Ty walk into the CDC and are warmly greeted by Ty’s former teachers. Even after graduating, they all remember him and fondly call him by another nickname, “Teddy.” After zipping up Alex’s jacket, they wave goodbye. Home is a short walk from the CDC and JoAnna always finds a way to make it fun, even incorporating games along the way. With each walk home, JoAnna appreciates the support and sense of community that Wilder has provided for her family, turning everyday routines into meaningful connections.
