Page 10 - Palm City Spotlight - June '23

Page 10, Palm City Spotlight

KIds Corner

Healthy Start Celebrates partner agencies through the Betty Moore Prenatal Outreach For more information about Martin County Healthy Start

Hollywood Glam And Center. The David Cardno Father and Child Resource Center, Coalition and its ongoing programs, visit www.mchealthystart.
org, call (772) 463-2888 or follow the organization on Facebook.
also part of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, helps
Healthy Babies fathers to become more involved in parenting and offers legal A comprehensive range of no-cost educational and health
assistance to fathers who are separated from their children. services are available to pregnant women and their families,
The glitter and glam of Old Hollywood took center stage The programs of Martin County Healthy Start Coalition are particularly those who are at risk for late or no prenatal care.
in mid-April at the 2023 Hometown Hollywood Black-Tie voluntary and available to all Florida residents at no cost. Photos by Liz McKinley
Gala in support of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition
and its Madison’s Miracles program.
Guests were treated to a dazzling setting of glimmering
gold and true red carpet style at the Elliott Museum,
where great food and spirited dance music made the event
memorable.
Madison’s Miracles, the newest member of the Martin
County Healthy Start Coalition family of services, provides
compassionate support to families who have been stricken
with the unimaginable loss of a baby during pregnancy
or during or after birth. “We were honored to welcome
Madison’s Miracles into our family of services last year,”
said Healthy Start CEO Samantha Suffich. “Healthy Start is
dedicated to supporting families in the joys of childbearing,
and now we are their resource in those heartbreaking
moments of loss as well.”
The gala’s silent auction featured an electric guitar from
Colorado Pawn & Jewelry, a custom hand-forged chef’s
knife, and art by Omari Maynard. The live auction included
a crawfish boil, and emerald and diamond necklace from
Van’s Uniforms, and once in a lifetime trips. In addition to
auction proceeds, sponsorships, and ticket sales, funds from
a special call-out for support during the event will be used
to sustain the Madison’s Miracles outreach efforts as well
as the doula program, car seat program, and mental health
services from Healthy Start.
Suffich gave the guests a quick summary of the past year’s Martin County Healthy Start Team and Board members, left to right: Toni Ryll, Board Member Jessica Tharp, Anastasia
achievements: “Between Healthy Start nurses and social workers Anderson, Roxi Fyke, Margo Keane, Telindalee Beck-King, CEO Samantha Suffich, Drew Gray, Board Member Ashley
visiting 178 families during the joys of pregnancy and issuing Calderone, Aubrey Campbell, Taylor Roca, Board Member John Carrigan, Angela Aulisio, and Jill Taylor
145,000 diapers to growing babies, we have now filled the last
gap in our continuum of care by serving over 70 families during
the miracle of childbirth with our community doula program. Dysgraphia In Children had dysgraphia. The boy’s second-grade schoolteacher
We are revolutionizing maternity care by challenging healthcare required weekly homework to write each spelling word
providers to minimize maternal health disparities and support Explained in a sentence. Dysgraphia impeded his handwriting and
healthy, empowered births.” ability to put thoughts onto paper so rather than elaborate
Sponsors of the gala include: Remax of Stuart-Rosi By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., sentences, he wrote very simple sentences. For the word,
Shepard, Spot On Strategies, John and Alex Carrigan, Paul J. School Psychologist “supper” he wrote, “I eat supper.” This simple sentence
Feinsinger CPA CFP, Loving Chiropractic of Stuart, Lucido Dysgraphia is a type of pattern repeated for words such as “color” and “inside”
& Associates, Marine Bank, PNC Bank, SJM Aerospace, writing learning disability with sentences such as “I like to color.” and “I go inside.”
SouthState Bank, Samantha and Knight Suffich, Van’s that is recognized by Although the boy correctly used the spelling word, the
Uniforms, Vivify Solutions, Well Done Hospitality, White Florida public schools. teacher did not like the simplicity of his sentences and
Glove Moving, Storage & Delivery, and Yates Funeral Home. When a child has noted this in large red ink on his paper. This was not the
For more information, contact aaulisio@mchealthystart.org. dysgraphia writing can be child being lazy but rather him coping with dysgraphia.
About Martin County Healthy Start a mentally overwhelming, After an evaluation and diagnosis with me, the parent
Martin County Healthy Start is a nonprofit organization physically exhausting, got the school to give her son a 504 Plan to give teachers
dedicated to ensuring that every baby is born healthy. It provides and time consuming. It understanding and her son accommodations.
educational and health services to pregnant women, new mothers might be dysgraphia if The causes of dysgraphia may include weak finger
and their families at no cost, particularly expectant mothers who your child does not enjoy writing and has a negative control, fine motor difficulty, seeing information one way
are at risk for late or no prenatal care. attitude toward writing. Children with dysgraphia are but writing it a different way, rapid recall from memory
Part of a statewide coalition, Healthy Start connects pregnant not all the same and dysgraphia presents in various ways. difficulty, slow processing speed, working memory
women and young mothers with essential services including Some children with dysgraphia have messy looking weakness or a combination of factors. Treatment for
prenatal care, home visitations by a nurse or social worker, handwriting, others have an awkward pencil grasp which dysgraphia can include occupational therapy, working with
breastfeeding support, parenting education, car seat and sleeping fatigues their hand, other children have difficulty quickly an educational therapist, home-based exercises to increase
safety, a free diaper pantry, and access to other community copying from the board to their paper, and some are poor motor control, keyboarding, and learning writing strategies.
spellers. Call to discuss your child as we test students ages
Furthermore, many children with dysgraphia often 5.5 through college for dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD,
have great thoughts and can speak more eloquently depression, anxiety, and other processing disorders. Visit
than they write. For example, a recent client’s child JimForgan.com or call (561) 625-4125.

Will and Sabrina Glover with Mike and Jennifer Renfro

Healthy Start CEO Samantha Suffice with Randy and
Linda Prange