My name is Yolanda Mahoney, I currently work in the field of Early Intervention as a Developmental Specialist. My
passion for children and families started back in 1997 as an assistant pre-school teacher for one of the local childcare centers and very
quickly fell in love with my job. I was
also attending the University of Akron unsure of exactly what career path I
wanted to take. As the years went on I
was able to develop lasting relationships with professionals and families that
played a major role in the decisions I made moving forward in my professional life. Right before graduating with B.A. of Psychology, I got a position as a Help Me Grow Service Coordinator and spent the next five year in this position. In 2011 I became the mother of a perfect and amazing little girl. The impact she's made on my life is more powerful than I would have ever imagined. At 18 months of age she was diagnosed various neurological conditions including a congenital brain and spine malformation. Since March of this year these issues have been more real to us than ever before, an MRI determined the malformation was significantly worse and may require an extremely invasive surgery with no guarantee of positive results. Our family was terrified but ready to do whatever we needed to support this precious child. As her mother my feelings are complicated, not easy to explain and not easy to talk about. My work as a Developmental Specialist was my saving grace....the families, my colleagues and even the courses at Kent State University helped me take one day at a time and be mindful of our situation. Our baby girl is doing well! Neurosurgeons are not recommending surgery at this time, we are monitoring her very closely and will do so for the rest of her life. Our daughter has a very innocent understanding of her diagnosis and she lives her life as most children do with lots of passion, love and laughter!!!
As I think back to past 17 years of my life, I feel I was being prepared for my place in life today. How can I make a difference in the lives of young children? The question I asked myself as I was making career decisions for my life, I now believe more than ever in the field of early intervention. I never thought about how the lives of young children would make a difference for me and my life.
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