“Not every child is the same, especially with down syndrome, and CSH was great at communicating where his strengths were, where his weaknesses were and what we should continue doing.”
10-month-old Sebastian Newton came to Children’s Specialized Hospital for rehabilitation and began his 3-month journey with CSH after having respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Pneumonia.
Sebastian lives with his family an hour and a half away from the CSH Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in New Brunswick. Because of this, his mom Selena was not able to be with Sebastian constantly. Although Selena was worried being away from Sebastian, she noted feeling like he was in good hands. “I felt comfortable knowing that he was well taken care of even with the extra layer of complexity because Sebastian has Down Syndrome,” said Selena. From the attentive security team who greeted Sebastian’s family when entering CSH, to the wonderful and communicative team of nurses and doctors, Selena could tell that everyone cared and paid attention to Sebastian.
“During his time at CSH, Sebastian truly thrived,” explained Selena. If Selena arrived in the morning, Sebastian was out of his bed involved in an activity. If Selena arrived in the afternoon, Sebastian was out of his bed with his occupational therapist, hanging out with the nurses at their station, or participating in circle time in the playroom. “Sebastian was always doing something and to be 10 months old and have such an active schedule reassured me he was being well taken care of,” Selena noted. Sebastian worked with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and child life therapists while at CSH. Once he returned home, Selena saw instant improvement in his mobility.
“It was a privilege to care for Sebastian throughout his stay. From admission to discharge, he made tremendous progress – not only physically, but in his ability to connect, engage, and show his personality. Watching his resilience and growth each day was inspiring, and it was an honor to be part of his journey and to support both him and his family,” explained his nurse, Kaitlin Radcliffe.
CSH’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital provides 24-hour medical and nursing care, plus an intensive daily therapy program. CSH’s holistic approach ensures each patient, like Sebastian, receives care that treats the entire child with customized care pathways for rehabilitation and habilitation that flow through multidisciplinary teams and special programs. Patients receive individualized medical care, nursing and therapies to promote participation and community reintegration as well as emotional support and encouragement for children and their families.
“Not every child is the same, especially with down syndrome, and CSH was great at communicating where his strengths were, where his weaknesses were and what we should continue doing,” said Selena.
Sebastian’s journey has taught Selena a lot about raising a child with Down Syndrome. She emphasized the importance of researching other adults, teenagers, or babies with Down Syndrome to help show parents what your own child is capable of. To not be afraid to push them, to talk to them, or read to them, just as you would any other baby.
Learn more about Inpatient Programs at Children's Specialized Hospital Therapy.