At the Queens Developmental Disabilities Council Breakfast, parents, providers and community members express their concerns to legislators, particularly the future of services for people with disabilities:

My name is Mary Ann and this is our story…My husband and I are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy named David, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t look into his eyes and marvel at the beautiful person he is, and all the possibilities that exist for him. Loving your child is not only what comes from the heart, but is also how to imagine his life unfolding as a mother and someone who loves him deeply.

I am honored to be here today to tell our short story in terms of how much HeartShare’s helped us, our son, and our family. At the time of David’s diagnosis, he was non-verbal, not communicating at all. After being at HeartShare for a few months, we started seeing changes in him–changes for the better. Now, after two years of being at HeartShare’s (pre-school)…he’s now reading, communicating.

Make sure the NYS budget includes more funding for early education: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form