Bi-Monthly Meeting with Speaker Laura Joslin May 17

The Merritt Island Rotary Club meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday at the Island Tiki Grill on Merritt Island. The Island Tiki Grill is located upstairs at the Island Lincoln-Mercury Dealership on SR 520 just west of the Banana River. There is plenty of parking behind the dealership. The Island Tiki Grill is located in the center of the building. Just take the curving staircase or the elevator directly to the meeting venue.

There is a networking time with light snacks from 5:15 to 5:45.

This week we are proud to host Laura Joslin Founder and Co-Owner of Ability Plus Therapy, Co-Founder of No Limits Academy

Join us as she tells us the journey which led to the founding of Ability Plus Therapy located here in Breavard county.

The journey of their life with their children has been the best experience and the toughest education Laura and her husband could ever have, which began in 1991. The experiences with their older son lead to the adoption of their second son who also has disabilities. This, in turn, created opportunities to help other children and families that are on similar journeys. As parents, to be told that your child will never walk on their own and that the brain damage shown on the MRI is severe enough that the motor function in all four limbs of your child’s body is completely affected is very difficult to deal with. This was Cheyne’s situation, their biological son. The doctors could not tell them if it would affect Cheyne’s ability to learn or speak. “Take him home and love him and be glad he is alive”, one physician told Laura. In 2000, they adopted Matthew at three years of age. They knew Matthew was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy just like Cheyne. They also knew he did not have the care that Cheyne had received since birth and his disability would be worse without it. They had no idea how severe Matthew’s condition was until they brought him home. Matthew could not eat solid foods, lift his head off the ground, or speak, and he had sensory issues that are too many to list. Matthew is now in High School and walking with a walker! Laura fully believes in Intensive Physical Therapy and the TheraSuit Method. She credits the habilitation of her son Cheyne to this method. Through intensive intervention, he was re-diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia, and currently walks with two canes and is still working toward using one cane. For Matthew, intensive therapy is also a huge part of his habilitation and will be the key to getting him to walk. Laura believes that any child with disability should be given the chance to succeed!