Rylee’s Story

Service
As a young girl in Las Vegas, Rylee’s spirit and personality radiated in everything she did. She was incredibly active and showed exceptional promise on the soccer field. Rylee practiced daily and out-played many older athletes with ease. Her family supported her passion for the sport in whatever way they could. “She just excelled at it,” remembers Bryan, Rylee’s father. On one fateful day in 2012, the heart and strength that she usually reserved for the soccer field was redirected to another battle. Rylee was involved in a four-wheeling accident that left her in critical condition. It was a day that her dad will never forget. Over the next few years, Rylee’s family invested time and effort into finding the best care possible for her. After learning about ChildServe’s Inpatient Rehabiliation Medicine Program from at nurse at Mayo, the family decided that it would be a good fit for their strong girl.  
Upon her arrival, nurse Dezeree Jackson could see that putting the smile back on Rylee’s face would be a key part of her healing process. With help from Bryan, Dezeree and her team made it their mission to fill Rylee’s days with her favorite things. This included pranks, movies and, of course, soccer. During her time on the unit, Rylee connected with area soccer teams, participated in a horseback riding camp and made a habit of scaring Dezeree with fake spiders, all while ChildServe’s team of pediatric rehabilitation experts guided her progress physically. “She stills just enjoys life,” says Dezeree. “It took her a while to get there, but she realized ‘Hey, I can still go outside these walls and go to soccer games and get on horseback. I can still do all of these things that I did before the accident. It might not be the same way, but I can do it.’” Now 15, Rylee has recently transitioned from ChildServe’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Medicine Program to a ChildServe Group Home.

Suzanne Foggia, Shift Supervisor, sees how Rylee has thrived since her arrival at her new ChildServe residence. Rylee is just as active as ever, with a schedule full of  friends, movie nights, shopping and daily cooking.

“Frankly, it’s a more normalized home environment,” says Suzanne. “Rylee goes out into the community as any teenager would. She likes to go shopping and to the mall. We frequently have friends over for dinner and movie nights. She attends birthday parties, goes on walks around the neighborhood, and just got involved in a scrapbooking group.”

After settling in, Bryan can see how much Rylee enjoys her new home. The group home setting allows her to interact with teens her age and provides more opportunities for her. Although he says that Rylee is always on his mind, he feels satisfied knowing that she is happy.

 

About

ChildServe improves the health and well-being of nearly 5,800 children each year through specialized clinical, home, and community-based programs and services. We serve children with developmental delays, disabilities, injuries, and other special healthcare needs.

Follow Us

Contact Us

Links

Share This