"I'm sorry, but your baby had a stroke."

Those were the shocking and heartbreaking words we heard the day after our son, Mikey, was born. Those few words completely changed our lives and the dreams we had for our baby.

What now?

After learning all we could about pediatric strokes and talking to doctors, therapists, and other families who faced the same unknowns, we understood that it would truly take "a village" to raise our son. He, like so many other children with life-altering conditions, was going to need help from many medical specialists and therapists, as well as intensive educational support.

Fortunately, we identified a tremendous number of resources however, the information was overwhelming and unorganized. We searched for "the book" with all the answers and services we were seeking, but none existed. We realized that if our family needed this information in an organized format, so did other families. With help from parents who came before us and after countless hours of research, we created Mikey's Guide, a comprehensive resource book for parents and caregivers. In 2006, Mikey's Place became a 501c3 charitable non-profit and began providing information, resources, and programs for families of children with disabilities.

Over the past 15 years, Mikey's Place has provided Mikey's Guide to thousands of families across the Greater Houston area. We have also awarded over $23,000 in "Camperships" to help families offset the high cost of specialized summer camps, and held our annual "Special Needs Summer Camp and Resource Fair" connecting families from all over Houston with a variety of service providers and disability-related organizations.

Looking Forward

Mikey is now 21 years old and faces a new challenge--life without school and the numerous supports, services, activities, and social networks from which he benefited greatly for so many years. Mikey is not alone. Sadly, there are hundreds of high school graduates across Houston each year in desperate need of purpose, belonging, and socialization. Graduates with disabilities are at much greater risk of isolation and poor self-esteem.

As we prepare him for this new chapter of life as an adult with a disability, we are disheartened by the surprising lack of post high school opportunities. Houston is a big city and, yet, there still exists a great need for meaningful programs and supported employment opportunities. We are now more determined than ever to offer programs to this chronically underserved population.

Our new program, Together at Mikey's Place, intends to fill this need. It is a thoughtfully designed work environment which takes into careful consideration each individual's interests and abilities. Young adults will receive vocational training, purposeful employment, and meaningful volunteer opportunities in a supportive, inclusive environment.

Mikey's Place began out of personal necessity for our family, and we are proud that we've been able to pay it forward and achieve our mission of informing, connecting, and supporting thousands of families who have children with disabilities. We are so grateful to all the members of Houston community who are supporting Mikey's Place!

To learn more, visit Our website.