Mariellen calls Matty her “miracle baby,” born after four pregnancy losses and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mariellen and her husband, Matt, were overjoyed upon the arrival of their precious baby boy but quickly noticed that something seemed off. Matty wasn’t gaining weight; he was struggling with contraction breathing issues; he was lethargic; he even went 24 hours without eating. Despite endless doctor appointments, an emergency room visit and a weeklong stay at the NICU, no one seemed to have the answers as to what was going on with their little boy.

At just 12 days old, Matty was admitted to the NICU. What began as an emergency room visit quickly turned into a weeklong hospital stay when Matty’s oxygen levels dropped dangerously low. Days later and after numerous tests, the hospital discharged Matty with a pneumonia diagnosis. Though a pneumonia diagnosis can be life-threatening, Mariellen and Matt still believed there was something more to Matty’s health issues. As advocates for their newborn son, Mariellen and Matt knew they had to be persistent and were determined to find answers that could help their son. Little did they know they would discover a diagnosis that not only left them startled but also very concerned about the future and how they would cope with the unknown. The new parents felt scared and unsure of what would come next for their son, especially during the early days of the pandemic.

After multiple doctor visits, Matty was ultimately diagnosed with moderate laryngomalacia. This condition affects the vocal cords causing the soft tissue to obstruct the airway, which can cause babies to spit up frequently, have difficulty eating, have increased effort and pauses in breathing, and struggle to gain weight. In addition, Matty was also diagnosed with torticollis, a condition that causes the neck to tighten and tilt to one side.

After Matty’s diagnosis was determined, a group of very caring physicians suggested next steps for Matty that would help improve his quality of life and give the family skills to reach these goals. The family was referred to the Early On program at Oakland Family Services.

Early On serves children ages birth through three years old who may be experiencing a developmental delay or are at risk for delays due to specific health conditions, as in Matty’s case. Trained Early On Evaluator/Service Coordinators help families complete the child evaluation and provide service coordination and monthly home visits for any child in need. The program partners with families to find the social, health and educational services to best support their child’s healthy development by emphasizing early identification and early referral.

“It was a relief when we first started the services because we were in the midst of a lot of unknown issues. Early On was there to help and guide me as his mom,” Mariellen explains. “It’s been a really big support and peace of mind, when you don’t know how to feed your son because swallowing isn’t easy, and you are scared he will choke on food. And it sounds silly, even bedtime could be difficult because of breathing issues when laying him down. Having people there to answer my questions quickly was a blessing.”

As Mariellen and Matt learned to adapt to Matty’s new diagnoses, the Early On Developmental Specialist provided advice and guidance throughout, which gave the couple peace of mind about his care and empowered them with the tools to better help their son.

Mariellen is also grateful for the Early On Developmental Specialist’s identification of and linkages to speech, occupational and physical therapy that Matty needed and continues to benefit from. “One of my favorite services that I still think is pretty amazing is the occupational and physical therapy services. Matty has been able to accomplish so much in such a short time. He was barely crawling before he was walking in part due to the therapy he has received.”

 Today, Matty is a thriving, precocious two-year old. He has advanced speaking abilities, can spell his name, say his ABCs, and can even count past 15 – an impressive repertoire for someone who hasn’t even had his third birthday. Physically, he is flourishing; he is an active child toddling around the house and getting into everything he shouldn’t be.

 “He’s overcome so much from such a young age,” Mariellen tenderly explains. “He’s meeting all his milestones… above his milestones. We’re moving forward and he is above expectations. Having the services was a relief and we couldn’t be happier and more thankful for the progress Matty has made.”

Learn more about Oakland Family Services’ Early On program.