My name is Ashley and I am the mother of a beautiful little girl we call Lily (short for Lillian). Lily is many things. She is silly, funny, a bit sassy, very easy-going, and an all-around happy child. This year she became something new, a student at Elim, and we are so happy and grateful for that.

Since she started there, everything has been amazing. All of our friends and family are excited by how much Lily has already progressed. She loves school. Every morning, when we walk up to the door, she starts to smile and giggle.

My hope for Lily is for her to become as independent as possible. She is currently 3 years old and she is non-verbal and also isn’t walking yet. She has been working hard at learning to walk (by the way, she has started using a walker in the months she’s been at Elim) and she has been working on communication. At Elim she will be able to explore so many options and figure out what works best for her.

You can help Lily by making sure all the programs and services at Elim are funded by year's end – thank you!

Elim has been such a great experience for my husband and I. Lily is our only child, and her having special needs is obviously hard at times and can make us feel a bit isolated. We are so lucky that our family and friends are so supportive of us and Lily, but they still can never fully understand how it can be at times. The staff and all of the other families you meet understand what you are going through, which is so encouraging. We feel Elim is a family and we love that environment. I have no doubt Lily is where she needs to be to succeed in life.

I’m her mom, so the truth is I’d just love to see her be happy. I want her to be comfortable with who she is. We want her to reach her utmost potential. We 100% agree with Elim’s mission, and I am certain it will help Lily to become who God created her to be.