As mothers across the country are celebrated on Mother’s Day on Sunday, one San Dimas mother who is also a full-time special needs caregiver to her son with cerebral palsy is celebrating the milestones her child has reached.
Hellen Deanda, a single mother, beams with pride when she reflects on how far her 17-year-old son, Jose Elias, has come. A music lover, the teen enjoys playing the trumpet. Each note he performs is a testament to the care and guidance his mother has given him as they navigated the boy’s cerebral palsy together.
“It’s been an adventure with him. He was born at 6 months — 3 pounds, 10 ounces,” Deanda said. “It was hard, the challenges that we faced. He came through a lot. They thought he was not going to speak, talk or anything like that.”
Now, Elias speaks English and Spanish. The teenager said he will never stop reminding his mother of his love for her.
“She means the world to me, man,” Elias said.
Elias’ speech therapy is part of the therapies the teen has received over the years, much with the help of his mother, since she is his special needs caregiver.
Over time, Deanda was able to find the resources her son needed and learned specialized skills to become his caretaker through a variety of training from the Center of Caregiver Advancement. Through those trainings and therapy, Elias learned how to become independent.
“One thing that brings tears to my eyes is that he hangs out with regular kids and kids with special needs, and doing stuff with the kids,” the mother said.
But it was their recent trip to the park that Deanda says caught her by surprise and filled her heart with so much love.
“We sat at the park and said, ‘Mom, I have to tell you something.’ He said, ‘I love you for everything you’ve done for me and made me grow,’” Deanda said. “To hear it from him, I felt privileged that I helped him grow.”