She spent this year in an integrated classroom, which is so great for her because she's very social and learns from her peers in many ways. Her parents have been working closely with her school district to ensure she can continue on to first grade in a regular classroom setting. She still doesn't speak vocally but continues to work with a few different types of methods and devices to be able to effectively communicate.

Poppy uses her iPad and outdoor play equipment Chive Charities provided every day! They're just a few weeks into summer and she has taken every opportunity to play outside and go swimming. She is spending a month this summer with her mom and siblings visiting her grandparents and a cousin in Ohio.

On a less positive note, Poppy has started having seizures this year. These aren't too severe, happening about once a month, but are still very frightening for her and her family. These are mostly controlled with medication and we have an incredible team of specialists at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland who are constantly working on ideas to improve her health. These are typical symptoms for kids with Angelman Syndrome but since she didn't start having seizures until after she was five, her parents thought she might have missed that part. 

Keep sweet Poppy in your thoughts and join us in wishing her a wonderful summer!