Dayshia

written by Sara Raynor
 

Dayshia’s family has been a part of FEATT for years now. At the first FEATT summer BBQ, it was hard for her to mingle with other children. Years later she has come out of her shell thanks to the help of extended family, friends, awesome teachers and medication. She was once a shy girl with social anxiety, but now she is a cheerful girl who enjoys her many friends. Before the social restrictions it was common for her to run into friends on shopping trips with her mom. Her teacher would send Dayshia’s mom pictures of her with her school friends.

The stay at home orders and now the social distancing measures are most difficult on children who rely on face to face interaction. That’s why it meant a lot to Dayshia that her mom organized a drive-through birthday celebration for her and her brother, Anthony, earlier this summer. It meant so much to Dayshia that friends, family, Roseburg Towing, the fire department  and even one of her teachers stopped by to wish her a happy birthday. Seeing people she knows makes her feel special and makes her day.

Rae, Dayshia’s mom, says that their path to getting all the help they needed taught her a lot about patience when dealing with doctors and referrals. Looking back, they appreciate the help from those who supported them along the way. Dayshia’s Uncle Garrett and Aunt Ashley are a big part of her life, taking her and Anthony out on adventures when their mom has to work. The right teachers have stepped up to help her too, which has meant a lot to the family.

It took them 3 years between diagnosis and starting to get the right treatment. They really appreciate Mr. Fullerton from Melrose, who is still Dayshia’s number one person. He helped her transition and she has kept in touch with him. She facetimes with him often. Miss Maxwell is another teacher who calls occasionally to see how she’s doing. Facetime has really helped during this time of not being able to socialize in person.

Dayshia loves to spend time with her Switch Lite and takes it everywhere she goes. She really loves animals and they also love to give her attention. She is interested in becoming a vet when she grows up. Her family rescued a puppy this summer. They named her Marshmallow, and Dayshia has passed the time training her. Rae says she is certain Dayshia will go to college and reach her goals.

Dayshia has some great support and a very knowledgeable mother. Rae is advocating for in-classroom instruction for special needs children. She hopes the schools will be able to meet the needs of children who do not do well with at-home, distance learning. Dayshia had expressed to her mom that she wanted her school life and her home life to be separate. Rae wants to respect that need that was so adamantly expressed by her daughter. That motivates her to find something that will work better for children like Dayshia. Rae believes that the FEATT community needs each other. We are best equipped to serve each other because only others who have been where we are truly understand our paths.