{"id":11334,"date":"2025-10-14T13:10:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T20:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hopeservices.org\/?p=11334"},"modified":"2025-11-20T10:12:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T18:12:30","slug":"hope-begins-early-lucys-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hopeservices.org\/news\/hope-begins-early-lucys-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Hope Begins Early: Lucy\u2019s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"Hope Begins Early: Lucy&#039;s Story\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dmxlN_is860?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The early years of a child\u2019s life are foundational for growth, learning, and lifelong development. For infants and toddlers with developmental delays\u2014or those at risk\u2014early support is critical. By equipping families with tools and knowledge, Hope Services helps children unlock their potential and build a stronger future.<\/p>\n<p>According to the California Department of Developmental Services, 77% of children who exit early intervention programs no longer need services after age 3. That\u2019s the power of early support.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy is one of those children receiving early intervention through Hope. She\u2019s a sweet, joyful toddler from Sausalito, California, and turned two this September. When she was six months old, her mother Sarah noticed that Lucy wasn\u2019t hitting typical milestones. She couldn\u2019t sit up\u2014and even more alarmingly\u2014she wasn\u2019t breathing properly. After an MRI and a two-week stay in the NICU, Lucy was diagnosed with <span style=\"color: #1b75bb;\"><strong>Dup15Q<\/strong><\/span>, a rare chromosomal disorder.<\/p>\n<p>Dup15Q, is so rare and new that there are currently no known adult cases. Symptoms vary widely, but for Lucy, it means weak muscles and movement challenges. Despite the obstacles, she\u2019s already saying \u201cmama\u201d and \u201cdada\u201d\u2014a milestone her family celebrates deeply.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy\u2019s big brother absolutely adores her. \u201cHe can\u2019t go a minute without kissing her or saying how much he loves her,\u201d Sarah shares. But the reality of having a younger sister with visible developmental differences hasn\u2019t been easy. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for him when he sees other babies walking and says, \u2018My baby doesn\u2019t walk.\u2019 It breaks my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah and her husband had conceived through IVF and completed genetic testing, but the tests didn\u2019t detect this specific chromosomal variation. When they found Hope Services through Golden Gate Regional Center, they were looking for guidance.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11337 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hopeservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0170-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"379\" height=\"271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hopeservices.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0170-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/hopeservices.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0170-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hopeservices.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0170-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hopeservices.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_0170-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 379px) 100vw, 379px\" \/>That\u2019s when they met <span style=\"color: #1b75bb;\"><strong>Sabrina<\/strong><\/span>, a developmental specialist at Hope Services. Sabrina works closely with Lucy through a blend of physical, speech, and occupational therapy. She also teaches Sarah strategies to support Lucy\u2019s growth at home\u2014transforming everyday play into powerful learning moments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, Lucy is in an exploration phase,\u201d Sabrina explains. \u201cShe loves toys that make sounds, things she can throw, and pulling objects out of boxes. She\u2019s learning through imitation and building early communication and joint attention skills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some of Lucy\u2019s favorite things? The book <em>Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?<\/em> and the classic tune <em>Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star<\/em>. Every smile, every interaction is progress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t sit up until Sabrina started working with her,\u201d Sarah says. \u201cShe\u2019s kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. She brings toys, tests Lucy\u2019s endurance, and really understands what she needs. Without Hope, I don\u2019t think we\u2019d be seeing this kind of progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Lucy\u2019s development is slower due to her condition, the strides she\u2019s making are meaningful. Sarah remains hopeful and driven to learn more. She attended a national conference in Indiana this July to connect with experts and other families living with 15Q.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s such a good baby. She gets excited, sleeps on time\u2014she\u2019s just the best,\u201d Sarah says with a smile.<\/p>\n<p>She also wants other parents to know they\u2019re not alone. \u201cIf there\u2019s a mom out there going through something similar, I\u2019d love for them to reach out. Having a community helps so much.\u201d Sarah is part of a Facebook group called <span style=\"color: #1b75bb;\"><strong>Dup15Q Alliance<\/strong><\/span>, where she shares experiences and finds support from families across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy\u2019s story is just one example of how early intervention, compassionate care, and dedicated family support can shape a child\u2019s path. At Hope Services, we\u2019re proud to walk alongside families like hers\u2014every milestone, every step of the way.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.hopeservices.org\/donate\/2025-giving-tuesday-lucys-story\">Support families and children like Lucy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The early years of a child\u2019s life are foundational for growth, learning, and lifelong development. For infants and toddlers with developmental delays\u2014or those at risk\u2014early support is critical. By equipping families with tools and knowledge, Hope Services helps children unlock their potential and build a stronger future. According to the California Department of Developmental Services,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":11336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[208,206],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[1005,305,385,105,435,437,99,117,438,1119,1296,98,450],"class_list":["post-11334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hope-service","category-news","wpautop"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v14.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hope Begins Early: Lucy\u2019s Story | Hope Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lucy is one of those children receiving early intervention through Hope. She\u2019s a sweet, joyful toddler from Sausalito, California, and turned two this September. When she was six months old, her mother Sarah noticed that Lucy wasn\u2019t hitting typical milestones. She couldn\u2019t sit up\u2014and even more alarmingly\u2014she wasn\u2019t breathing properly. 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