Eli was born a healthy and happy baby. When he turned one, we noticed a few developmental red flags and mentioned them to our pediatrician. We were assured he would eventually outgrow any concerns we had. After no further progress and three similar visits we made it blatantly clear that we were very worried. The pediatrician, after assuring us so many times that all was well, announced that our son was on the spectrum. He was autistic. 

The word autism scared us. Our other kids are “normal.” Eli was atypical. Not fully understanding, or even accepting this, we scheduled Eli for a medical evaluation at Sinai hospital, to see if he was indeed on the spectrum. April 16th  was a day that changed our lives. It was the day we would begin to understand our son and why he does the things he does. The evaluation confirmed the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and Eli was referred for early intervention. 

Eli was referred for occupational therapy, developmental therapy, and speech therapy. As Eli grew, his ability to communicate with us didn’t, and his frustration and tantrums increased. Our way of life completely changed. Our daily routine was constantly disrupted and going places felt impossibly difficult. We started with once a week for all therapies and then we moved on to twice a week. We were using all the resources we could find to help our son at such a crucial time. We tried everything we were learning from his therapists. Our whole family realized that we had to continue to fight for Eli. Continue to help him grow and find his voice. We knew he needed more. We just didn’t know how.

Before our son was diagnosed with autism, my husband was struck with his own health issues that required three surgeries within a year and a half. We were in debt and not financially stable enough to put our son into a private program where he would get that one on one support he needed. Once Eli graduated from early intervention we couldn’t afford to pay for private therapies or schools. Our only choice was to continue his services through Chicago Public Schools. At the time, he was nonverbal and had a tendency to run. He had escaped the classroom a few times and the school couldn’t provide him with a personal aide. Eli needed more.

We researched therapeutic schools and fell in love with CST academy. There, he would be able to get all of his therapies and begin ABA (applied behavioral analysis) as well. We were prepared to make any sacrifices necessary. We tightened our money belt and squeezed but it was pricey. Pricey for a family of six. For a family with three other kids in public schools with fees, materials, uniforms and backpacks and shoes. Pricey for the family that needs to pay the rent, utilities and bills. That’s when we found out about the grant offered by Chicago Autism Network. I wrote in to say hello, introduce ourselves and most importantly Eli.

Before we received this grant, Eli’s world was one of tantrums, screaming and chaos. After he began services at CST academy he began picking up new words everyday and remembering names of people he interacted with on a daily basis. The first day he called us Momma and Dada, we celebrated and then hid behind closed doors to bawl our eyes out with joy and relief. The simple things like hearing him request “pway Moana traxsound” are the sweetest moments for our family. Something we hoped for but weren’t sure would ever happen. Eli has such potential and he cruises through all of his work and challenges with a smile. Sure, there are bad days, but a few deep breaths, a quick recap of his successes and the reminder that he experiences the world differently, and calm is restored. Thanks to Chicago Autism Network we have those successes to remember, we have support for those hard days and Eli is able to continue his amazing progress. We are so grateful that our son is able to get all of the help he receives because the challenges he faces are huge and he only ever faces them with a smile, a song, and tons of praise for everyone that helps him. "Yeay! School! Good job mommy! Shower time! Bed time!! Let's go get fries! Pizza please!!” Joy has replaced frustration in his life. 

Thanks to this grant - your gift to us - our son continues to impress everyone and lay the foundation that will guide him for the rest of his journey. There are no words strong enough to show our humble gratitude. Your grant allows Eli to flourish and for this we are eternally grateful. If you are ever tired of the day’s motions, if you are ever in need of a pick me up, we hope that you can think of our story (and the stories of everyone else who you have helped) and remember that because of your initiative, your selflessness and your gifts there is one more smile that fuels countless others. You give a gift that keeps giving and words won't show the depth of our gratitude. We will say it again and again, thank you for your generosity and your goodwill. Thank you for being there for us when we were in our moment of need. Thank you for everything you have done for our Eli and our family. We cannot thank you enough but through your example we will try to bring smiles to those we can through whatever means are 

at our disposal. Please count us among your greatest admirers. Thank you all! 

Sincerely Yours, 

Eli & The Delgado Family

Click here to find ways you can help us support more families like Eli’s!