When she found out she was pregnant at age 20, Kylee Weekly of Moundsville was determined to do her best for her baby as a single mother. At 18 weeks pregnant, when told her baby had Down syndrome, she felt isolated and depressed.
“I didn’t know anything about Down syndrome. I was actually very, very scared. But I told myself whatever happens, happens. We’ll be alright.”
When daughter Blakely was born, she had two holes in her heart and was flown to WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. Within the first year, however, the holes closed on their own, a miracle which still amazes her mother.
Blakely, now 5, received early intervention occupational and physical therapy through West Virginia Birth to Three until she turned 3, and today her physical health couldn’t be better, Weekly said. But at age 3, Blakely’s emotional and behavioral struggles made it difficult to attend school and became a challenge to her growth and well-being.
That’s when another parent on social media suggested speech therapy at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Wheeling. Weekly messaged Blakely’s primary care provider, Amanda Mosman.
“And by the end of the week, I’m getting a call from Easterseals: ‘Hey, we’re so excited to meet Blakely!’” Weekly said.
Weekly said she felt alone having a child with Down syndrome in the Ohio Valley until she came to Easterseals.
“It is like walking into a breath of fresh air. It has been such a huge help. I never really experienced having a village, like people would call it, or a community that just ‘gets me’ and my kid. … It just feels like a safe space where I’m not the only one wanting the best for my child. Every person in the building … also wants the best for her.”
Blakely’s speech therapist, Kelli Shallcross, said they have worked to build Blakely’s her comprehension skills and expand her vocabulary. She said Blakely is a “dynamic little girl” and that Weekly has worked hard with her at home, too. Blakely has gone from using only a couple dozen words to over 200, using more phrases and even complete sentences.
“Kelli has helped Blakely on so many levels,” Weekly said. “She is usually very anxious and guarded, and she took to Kelli immediately. She is so excited to go to speech every week. She always runs in; she makes sure she gives Kelli a hug before we leave. She wants to sit and talk and tell her about her day. I think Kelli has really helped her open up and get over some of her fears around new people,” Weekly said.
Success at Easterseals has led to less anxiety and fewer behavioral outbursts, Weekly said. She loves to play and engage with others.
She added Shallcross also has provided her support as a mom.
“Kelli always makes sure that, even though the sessions are for Blakely, she’ll check in with me, see if I have any questions about anything or see if I might need any help with anything that we’re going through. Honestly Kelli has been such a blessing. She’s helped us so much.”
Weekly said her biggest challenge now isn’t with Blakely but with people making assumptions about her daughter and leaving Blakely out in social situations.
“She tries her best to play and fit in with other kids, and it’s heartbreaking to see some turn their heads and never give it a second thought.” She said even the adults turn away. She added she wishes people would engage with Blakely and ask questions about Down syndrome rather than ignoring them.
“There’s nothing greater than being Blakely’s mom,” Weekly said. “Her smile is infectious. She teaches me something new every single day. I honestly feel I was blessed with the most perfect child, and that’s exactly what I needed in my life.”
Weekly has built a following on Facebook and TikTok where she highlights life with Blakely and engages with others who have children with Down. She has connected with other moms at a Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network moms’ retreat last year that her followers helped pay for her to attend.
Through online research, Weekly discovered a Down Syndrome school in Marietta, Georgia, and a Down Syndrome clinic in nearby Atlanta. She and Blakely, along with her mother Tina Wharry, have decided to move to Marietta to take advantage of these opportunities for Blakely.
She said she knows Blakely will receive phenomenal care there, and she isn’t worried about not knowing anyone.
“I’m sure with the way Blakely is, we’ll make friends pretty quick.”
Follow Kylee and Blakely during their next chapter in Georgia by following them @kyleeweekly on Facebook and TikTok.
