Dana’s Legacy, www.danaslegacy.com, Gayle Slate, Children with Disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, special needs children, marriage and family therapist, special needs, San Diego Book Award Association, National Indie Excellence Award
To have a child with cerebral palsy especially the first born is a trauma no mother can endure. It is one of the most difficult, challenging and heart rending prepositions bringing up a child with disability whether it is cerebral palsy, autism or any other developmental disability.
Gayle Slate is a mother who suffered immensely with Dana, her first born who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Gayle and her husband Don were shattered when they were told that Dana had a very short life span. You can imagine a mother’s agony. Most would simply give in to the uncontrollable grief and remain depressed through their ordeal.
But Gayle and Don, realizing that therapy resources were hugely limited way back in the 60s, decided to go by their intuitive wisdom and take life into their control. They rose from the ashes to give Dana the best possible last years of her life. They looked deep through her illness at her inner self and revelled in her unique beauty. They decided to transform any negative to positive and never really looked back in despair or brooded over the future.
Rather they enjoyed every moment with their precious daughter and led a very fulfilling life with her. Dana’s Legacy is indeed a great inspiration and motivation for other parents with special needs children.
After Dana’s death, Gayle Slate decided to become a marriage and family therapist. She went back to school to complete a Master of Arts in Psychology degree with the sole aim of helping other parents going through the same suffering she and her husband faced with her daughter.
Today, more than 35 years of being involved with children with disabilities and their families, Gayle leads a retired life in San Diego. She was the creator and director of an early intervention program for toddlers and infants with developmental disabilities. She is the pioneer of the speciality discipline of therapists working with families of disabled children. Till today, she has helped hundreds of families cope with the trauma and has helped create support groups.
KIT or Kids Included Together is an organization she founded in the year 1997. This non-profit, national organization trains other community based organizations in including disabled children in their activities and child care programs. This organization ensures sustained training so that the children are included in the programs even after the termination of KIT’s involvement. This organization has lit a light of hope in the lives of at least 5800 disabled children in San Diego.
The publication of Gayle Slates breakthrough book Dana’s Legacy – From Heartbreak to Healing has ensured the expansion of KIT’s services through the United States and even in the US Navy. Gayle has received recognition and many awards including the Salvation Army – Women of Distinction, March of Dimes – Mother of the Year and the Compass Family Centre Star Award.
Dana, with her cerebral palsy inadvertently acted as a catalyst in the life of Gayle and her husband Don. The years of distress, agony and grief they suffered transformed into a strong positive healing energy that is since helping numerous families suffering from similar trauma.
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