Meet Shelly D., Parent Mentor at Akron Children's
![Shelly D.](/parent-mentors/81646/mentor_main_photo/medium/31_photo.jpg)
Shelly's Story
Hi! My name is Shelly and I am the mom of two awesome boys! Both are school age. Our oldest has autism, sensory processing disorder and our youngest was born with a cleft lip and palate. They have both received wonderful care at Akron Children's.
Our oldest was diagnosed with autism and is non-verbal. He is currently in speech therapy, OT and will soon be starting PT. He has made great progress and we are excited to see what else is in store for him.
We learned of our younger son’s cleft lip and palate at my 20-week ultrasound. While very scary initially, his cleft team at Children’s has been a blessing to our family. He has had five procedures to date and is expected to have a few more. His lip, palate, ear tubes (2x), fistula and rhinoplasty have all been repaired/done. Next step for him will be dental. Just waiting on his molars to arrive.
Shelly is a parent mentor for these conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cleft Lip and Palate.
Shelly is a mentor for these care services: Autism, Developmental Delay, Ear Nose Throat (ENT), Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Surgery