Inside Pediatrics Winter 2018

based nonprofit rehabilitation center that promotes active, independent lifestyles for people with physical disabilities or chronic health conditions, and serves as a training site for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams. Unwilling to let go of her passion for dance, Wilson brushed the suggestion off, but two years later, her mother nudged her to attend a summer camp at Lakeshore. Wilson promised she would stay one day. That was the day she fell in love with wheelchair basketball. She became a starting player for the Lakeshore Lakers wheelchair basketball team and was selected as one of five inspirational athletes nationwide to be featured in Gatorade’s Win From Within video series campaign. “Being in an environment with people who didn’t judge my disability was pretty awesome,” Wilson said. “Lakeshore helped me learn that even though I’m in a wheelchair, there are people going through the same experience and doing amazing things.” Heather Baty, Divisional Director of Ambulatory Operations at Children’s, said Wilson’s journey is the crux of Children’s at Lakeshore – to help children achieve their highest level of independence. With physician care and therapy services provided by the UAB Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and Children’s Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology staff, respectively, Children’s at Lakeshore merges a medically based model of care with community-based healthy living and transitional services. “Bringing the Children’s at Lakeshore facility to the Foundation campus provides an opportunity for a more seamless transition to support our patients in pursuing an active lifestyle,” Baty said. Lakeshore President Jeff Underwood said Children’s and Lakeshore have enjoyed a successful partnership for many years. The addition of Children’s at Lakeshore stands to broaden the impact of each organization’s mission. “We are looking forward to expanding our collaboration and strengthening our relationship with Children’s so that more parents and their children with physical disabilities can learn about the opportunities available to them at Lakeshore,” Underwood said. Medical professionals evaluate and provide patients with a customized and comprehensive rehabilitation, physical, occupational and/or speech-language therapy treatment program specifically designed for their needs in an outpatient program. According to Drew Davis, M.D., division director of the UAB Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine who treated Wilson at the time of her initial illness and still follows her progress today, “Erica really exemplifies what is possible when children are able to take advantage of access to both high-quality healthcare and world- class community-level sports, fitness and recreation opportunities. With the opening of Children’s at Lakeshore, we are building a bridge between the medical rehabilitation model and the community-based model of healthy living with the goal of helping all of our patients achieve the highest level of independent function.”

Wilson is confident that Children’s at Lakeshore will be a source of healing and hope for patients and their families. This past summer, she worked as an aide at Children’s on 3rd Outpatient Center, which houses specialty clinics for physical and occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. Inspired by her experience as both a patient and employee, she plans to enroll in graduate school and pursue a career in occupational therapy. “Children’s and Lakeshore connectedly got me to where I’m at today. The two work hand-in-hand.” Wilson said. “I can do all of these things I thought I wouldn’t be able to do, and that’s pretty awesome.”

Wilson visits with Drew Davis, M.D., medical director of the UAB Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, at Children’s of Alabama in 2016. “Erica really exemplifies what is possible when children are able to take advantage of access to both high-quality healthcare and world-class community-level sports, fitness and recreation opportunities,” Davis says.

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