At 6 months old, Jamie* 
became a resident at Safehaven. He spent the first several months of his life in and out of the hospital enduring countless treatments to manage his complex care needs of down syndrome and an immune deficiency which required him to remain in a controlled environment. Simply put, Jamie wasn’t expected to see his first birthday. Upon his arrival at Safehaven, the staff embraced Jamie. They became his family. The Safehaven staff built a team of specialists around his care with the sole focus to nurture his physical and emotional development for as long as Jamie was with them.
Jamie is now a happy and energetic two and a half year old stealing the hearts of everyone he meets. His development has been substantial and exceeded all medical expectations. Now that his immune deficiency has been abated, the care team has been able to expand their focus from providing critical medical intervention to helping him meet his milestones.
Jamie’s spirit is contagious. He puts a smile on the face of everyone he meets. He has had countless Exceptional Firsts at Safehaven – he’s beginning to feed himself, walk on his own, and even climb. The team at Safehaven are relentlessly committed to supporting him and so confident in his development they are already mapping out future milestones. They hope to see him talking soon.
Looking back to when Jamie first came through the doors at Safehaven, it’s incredible to see the progress he has made over his short time here. He has thrived in our person-centred model that leverages best in class clinical and psychological support while encouraging healing, exploration and empowerment through the magic of arts-based therapy. He brings a smile to everyone’s face the minute he comes into a room. He’s the perfect example of the miracles that happen at Safehaven every day.
Safehaven is a leader in providing respite and residential care to vulnerable populations with complex care needs and multiple disabilities. They have impacted more than 2,000 children, youth and their families over the last 25 years. Safehaven is creating Exceptional Firsts every single day!
You have the ability to create more Exceptional Firsts for kids like Jamie. Donate $1,000, and you can send a child in residential care to camp, giving them memories that will last a lifetime.
*Jamie is not his real name