“From day one of walking into ChildServe’s Rehabilitation Unit, we felt compassion. On day two we started to see more of Oliver’s smile, and a lot of that was because of the ChildServe team,” said Oliver’s mom, Vicki.

Two-year-old Oliver, who has cerebral palsy, came to ChildServe‘s Rehabilitation Unit after having a procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. The surgery cut select nerves in his back with the goal of decreasing his muscle stiffness. Oliver has also faced mobility, communication and sensory challenges due to epilepsy and hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain).

“Oliver‘s journey has been a roller coaster, and we’ve had some tough curves to conquer. We often describe Oliver’s journey as an odyssey – a long voyage marked by many changes of fortune.”

To help Oliver recover from surgery, his family partnered with ChildServe’s rehabilitation experts where he received multiple intensive therapy sessions daily. His therapy team even brought in ChildServe’s Facility Dog, Caribou, to help make the hard work of therapy fun.

“There is nobody like the team at ChildServe. I can’t speak highly enough of the way everyone works together. All of the nurses, doctors and therapists… they love like no other. They love kids and their families and have so much joy in their hearts.”

Oliver’s five-week stay at ChildServe kickstarted his recovery and a new chapter of his journey. Today, the energetic 4-year-old enjoys working toward his therapy goals in ChildServe’s outpatient program four times a week. His mobility and speech skills have improved so much that he can now speak full sentences and loves racing his physical therapist, Dani, with help from his gait trainer. On occasion, Caribou will still visit Oliver during his therapy sessions!

“For us, ChildServe is a gift,” said Vicki. “ChildServe has made our roller coaster journey less hard. He still has a long recovery ahead, but we’re so blessed to have ChildServe be part of Oliver’s odyssey.”