Local child Easter Seals ambassador
Allie Hester works with her physical therapist, Glenda Tompkins, at Easter Seals North Alabama.
Overcoming challenges in life is something that even adults struggle with on a daily basis, but one two-year-old little girl from Russellville is proving that determination and a big heart can go a long way when facing challenges.
Allie Hester was born in November of 2008 and her parents, Randy O. and Jill Hester, couldn’t have been more proud. Allie was a happy baby and was never short on love or attention since she was the first grandchild for both families, but pretty soon, they noticed Allie seemed to be developing slower than normal.
“When Allie was about six months old, we noticed she was not rolling over or attempting to sit up,” Jill Hester said. “We went to doctors across the state trying to find an answer for what might be wrong.”
The Hesters finally got their answer at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. Allie was diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder called short-arm duplication of chromosome 7, which affects her balance and has caused developmental delays.
To help her begin to make progress, in 2009 Allie began going to Easter Seals North Alabama, which is a rehabilitation and physical therapy center in Muscle Shoals that serves Franklin, Colbert, Lauderdale, Marion, Winston, Lawrence and Limestone counties.
At Easter Seals, Allie was able to receive specialized care and can now walk with a walker, scoot on the floor, crawl, roll over and she enjoys getting in the water.
“Allie is our little angel and we are so thankful for her. She keeps amazing us with her progress and we couldn’t have gotten this far without our supportive family, friends, church family and Easter Seals,” Jill Hester. “Allie loves going to Easter Seals so much that she cries when she has to leave. They have helped her and we are so thankful for her physical therapists.”
Jill Hester said Easter Seals North Alabama provides services for free for people who don’t have insurance, but in order to provide these services at little or no cost, Easter Seals North Alabama has an annual walk-a-thon fundraiser called Walk With Me.
This year, Allie was chosen as one of four people out of the entire area to serve as an honorary ambassador for the Walk With Me fundraiser.
“This is a great event and we hope many people will support this organization that has done so much to help Allie,” Jill Hester said. “The services they provide are so important to so many families.”
This year’s Walk With Me event is scheduled for Saturday, August 20, at 9 a.m. at Gattman Park in Muscle Shoals. Easter Seals North Alabama has set a goal to raise $30,000 with this year’s fundraiser.
To donate to the event, become a sponsor or to sign up to walk, registration and donation forms can be picked up at the Franklin County Times office on U.S. 43. Donations of $25 or more will receive a free Walk With Me T-shirt.
All the money from the Walk With Me event will stay in the seven-county area to help local families dealing with disabilities or other special needs.
