How the Valentine family wants to create awareness through their daughter Hayden

Her smile. Her warmth. Her joy.

That’s what makes 3-year-old Hayden Valentine so special.

"She’s just got a great spirit to her," Drew Valentine said. "I think that’s something everybody says when they come into contact with her. Her happy, warm, welcoming smile."

"There’s nothing better than being a mom to her," Taylor Valentine said. "At some point, we weren't sure if we would be able to do that. But here we are."

On April 15, 2021, Drew and Taylor welcomed Hayden into the world.

Her arrival came three months early. A premature birth leading to a road full of unknowns.

"She was born on a Thursday. We got a call [Saturday] that she needed to have an emergency brain procedure," Drew said. "If she didn’t get it, she wasn’t going to survive. We went to hospital on Sunday morning. We walk in and her NICU nurse that had been with her since she was born couldn't even look me in the eyes. I lost it."

Hayden would spend the next three months in the hospital, closely monitored and undergoing two major procedures.

The excitement of being new parents quickly wore off.

"As she started to get bigger, you just started to notice some things," Drew said. "She wasn’t hitting certain milestones, standing or noticing she can’t use her left hand well. I mean, the day after she was born, the doctor came in and said, ‘I don’t even know if she was gonna make it.’"

In May 2022, Hayden was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

A movement disorder caused by abnormal developments in the brain. The road of unknowns had finally arrived to answers.

"For Hayden, it affects primarily three of her limbs," Taylor said. "We call it spastic trapeze."

"At birth, she had a brain procedure and that caused her to be diagnosed with celebrity palsy. Her brain just tells her left hand and two legs to be really tight," Taylor said. "The greatest part about it is that we can work really hard to treat the tightness… do lots of things to help her combat it."

Today, Hayden is working towards a normal life through daily therapy sessions. It’s a reminder to never take everyday activities for granted.

"You go to the playground and kids are running around, parents are saying, ‘Oh my kids are nuts, can’t control them,’" Drew said. "Hayden is staring at them with her walker, wishing she could run around, too. It gives you an incredible perspective on not taking the smallest things in life for granted."

While the Valentines know they will have future challenges to navigate, their biggest hope is to create a sense of community within Loyola for those impacted by the disability.

"Our kids are so resilient. They’re amazing, and they can accomplish anything," Drew said. "Our jobs as parents are to support and love them. Also, you’re not alone and there’s other people going through hard times. Lean on your support system and hopefully we can be an example of what’s the light at the end of the tunnel."