Opelousas clinic fills crucial need for children, parents
The Daily World, Opelousas, LA
by Kim Grimes
June 3, 1993
Before 3-year old Kathryn Soileau came to the Opelousas Area Cerebral Palsy Clinic, she was like a "rag doll" who could barely move at all, her mother said.
But Kathryn's mother, Patricia, said the therapist the clinic provides is changing her daughter's life.
The clinic has been helping children in the area like Kathryn since its formation in 1955.
Soileau said Kathryn's body has a lot of "involvement" with cerebral palsy, meaning the birth defect affects most of her body. Doctors told the Soileaus that their daughter would never be able to walk and would have limited mental abilities.
"I don't believe in taking such a fatalist view on such things," Soileau said. "I will always let her have hope."
Now Kathryn is learning to sit up and bull herself on the floor. She sings her ABC's and recognizes colors, Soileau said.
Soileau said she believes that Kathryn will walk one day.
"She may be 18 years old, but I know that she will walk. Maybe I'm looking through rosy glasses, but I don't always trust doctors' opinions about abilities," Soileau said.
Kathryn enjoys coming to the clinic, where she works one on one with a physical therapist, she said.
"We feel so fortunate to have this clinic here," she said. "I can't say enough good things about it."
Although some doctors doubt the effectiveness of physical therapy for cerebral palsy patients, the clinic relies heavily on it because "these children will respond with therapy," Clinic Director Patty Richard said.
Karen Higginbotham has seen the results of therapy in her 5-year-old daughter Alison.
Thanks in part to two years of therapy at the clinic, Alison now crawls and walks - tasks she couldn't perform before, Higginbotham said.
But the clinic always helps the parents.
"It gives you hope to see other children doing the things you want your child to do," Higginbotham said.
Richard said the clinic is funded through United Way and community donations, with no state or federal assistance. All therapy is provided free, she said.
"It's not that we don't want assistance. We can't get it," Richard said. The clinic has been applying for grants, she said.
The clinic employs Richard and one contracted physical therapist, who works for two half days a week. Patients are referred to the clinic by doctors, handicapped children's services or the student appraisal center, Richard said.
Last year, funding from United Way fell because donations slacked off of because of scandal in the United Way organization, Richard said. All United Way agencies suffered, she said.
But community donations managed to keep the clinic operating, Richard said.
"This year's been wonderful. One person donated $10,000," she said. "This is truly a community project".
The clinic also raises money through benefits such as the "Tribute to Lois Boagni," Richard said.
Along with Nolan and Gayle Simmons, the clinic sponsors the 3rd Annual "Tribute to Lois Boagni" benefit from 8 pm to midnight June 12 at Little Teche Farms in Port Barre.
"The community has really responded to this," Richard said.
Admission is $20 per person and a cash bar will sell drinks. Nite Life Country Band will perform, and Savoie's will cater the event.
Like most of the parents of the children who attend the clinic, Higginbotham and Soileau are grateful to the founders of the clinic and the community which supports it.
"It's just amazing what the community did 35 years ago," Higginbotham said.