Meet Ethan and Piper: Walk With Me Honorary Ambassadors

Isabella, Piper and Ethan with their mom Stephanie.

Stephanie Anderson found herself in a precarious position a few months ago. Her young children, Piper (age 2) and Ethan (age 4), attended the same daycare, but things weren’t working out well for Ethan there. His behavior challenges were not ideally handled by staff, said Stephanie, resulting in him being treated differently by the teachers.

Stephanie wasn’t comfortable with this scenario, so she sought a new solution for her kids.

Living on the west side of Volusia County, Stephanie learned about the Easterseals Early Childhood Education Center, located adjacent to Trinity United Methodist Church in DeLand. After consulting the Center’s leadership about Easterseals’ services and space availability for her children, Stephanie found comfort in enrolling Ethan and Piper in a learning environment that suited her children’s needs and would help them flourish.

“At Easterseals, the teachers are more accepting and patient, and they are really good with the children who have hyperactivity challenges,” said Stephanie. “I feel more supported at Easterseals than I did at other childcare programs. Easterseals has other children there who have similar challenges to Ethan; they know how to handle him.”

Ethan and Piper no doubt keep their mom on her toes, but their vibrant personalities also reveal how excited they are to explore, learn and grow.

Stephanie said some of Ethan’s favorite activities are riding his scooter and swimming, while Piper loves her baby dolls. And, they’re enjoying school more than ever before, too.

 “They love the teachers in the daycare,” said Stephanie. “(In other schools), Ethan would say how much he didn’t like school and he wouldn’t want to go in the morning. But now, every day he has a positive attitude. He doesn’t complain about going to school and he actually enjoys it.”

Reinforced by their teachers’ caring commitment, Ethan and Piper now have the structure in place to continue their love of learning and to blossom into their fullest potential at Easterseals.

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Ethan, Piper, Stephanie and sister Isabella are excited to be an Easterseals Ambassador family this year. Join their team, register or donate to Walk With Me on April 26 in Daytona Beach www.walkwithme.org/daytona. 

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