With Father’s Day quickly approaching, we can’t help but reflect on all of the “super-dads” that we’ve gotten the privilege of working with over the years. One of the many families that come to mind are the DiChiara family. We’ve been able to stay in touch with Penelope DiChiara’s family - her dad Anthony in particular. 

When we last spoke with Anthony, he shared how much progress Penelope has made since we first worked with her in 2021. She continues to thrive in therapy, and her parents continue to advocate for her best interests. 

In Penelope’s most recent update, Anthony had just walked 100-miles head-to-toe in his firefighter gear in an effort to spread awareness for the policy change he is advocating for. 

Since completing the walk, Anthony has taken on a role on the board for the Run to Breakthrough. "It's a privilege," he remarks, "and we're excited for the upcoming event in September." 

In addition to the walk, Anthony also shared a petition with us that further details which policies need to improve for kids with disabilities in the state of NY. We shared it with Penelope’s previous update, unsure if it would lead to additional signatures.
We are thrilled to announce that, after sharing that petition with our community, the petition received another couple hundred signatures! While Anthony awaits a response from local politicians, he wanted to extend his heartfelt  gratitude to everyone who took the time to sign the petition and advocate for better policies for children with disabilties in their area. 

Furthermore, Anthony told us that life in the DiChiara household is always bustling, but they're managing splendidly. The girls are flourishing, and with Penelope's 10th birthday approaching, excitement fills the air. However, amidst the joys, they're facing hurdles with Medicaid paperwork, striving to secure vital environmental modifications for their home and car. 

The DiChiara family feels blessed by the support of the Heather Pendergast Fund. Anthony notes, "Their generosity has been instrumental in Penelope's therapy journey, alleviating financial burdens."

With assistance from Heather's Fund and their family, the DiChiara's plan a surprise trip to Disney World in September. "We're looking forward to revealing the surprise to the girls," Anthony shared. 

With Disney World, the Run to Breakthrough, and Penelope’s 10th birthday coming up, the DiChiara family has a lot to look forward to - and we can’t wait to hear all about it. 

In the meantime, however, we would strongly encourage anyone reading this update to read Penelope’s full story (link below) to see how far she has come from where she started.