Arabella came into this world as a bright light on one of the darkest days in America’s history. On Sept. 11, 2001, her birth brought joy and happiness as well as concern to parents Heather and Joel. Arabella, their beautiful little girl, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and intellectual development.

Arabella's first year was one of discovery for her family. They read every piece of information they could find about Down syndrome in order to give Arabella a fighting chance at a normal life. During this time, they learned about the Rise School of Houston, a non-profit organization affiliated with Texas Children’s Hospital. The school’s mission is to provide the highest quality of early childhood education services to children with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities.

“Our aim is to bring each child to their potential so that when they’re ready for kindergarten they’ll hit the door running and be able to be successful in a mainstream situation,” said Jan Stailey, director of the Rise School of Houston.

Texas Children’s Hospital has been affiliated with the Rise School of Houston since the beginning. Texas Children’s provides the building where the school is housed, financial aid for families based on their income, professional resources, consultants for the education of parents and therapy services. Each Wednesday, a team of doctors and specialists from the hospital visit the school to work with the children.

“The Rise School has taken Arabella from an infant stage and transformed her into a young lady who’s learning to potty train, to serve her own food and to feed herself completely,” said Heather. “She follows directions and she speaks well, which is not typical for a 3-year-old with Down syndrome. Many children don’t communicate at all.”

Arabella’s progress is a shining example of how far each child can go when given the proper tools along with love, laughter and encouragement.