Empowering Kadence
Kadence is a thoughtful 9-year-old who confidently describes herself as independent. When Kadence was 12 months old, she became very sick with a virus that caused neurological complications for her. The virus paralyzed her from the neck down. Despite the life-altering effects, Kadence never let that stop her from working hard, dreaming big, and trying new things. Kadence has been pushing herself and discovering new possibilities at Turnstone.
They were looking for aquatic therapy; however, Huntington didn’t have anything local that could meet Kadence’s needs. They made the trip from Huntington to Fort Wayne in 2021 to check Turnstone out and it became the first of many trips to Turnstone for Kadence and her mom.
“I had heard about it before and I think I even stopped here once a really long time ago but didn’t know that they offered the services that we needed for Kadence,” said Kadence’s mom.
When thinking about her first day, Kadence recalled, “I think I felt a little nervous—like what am I going to do with my new [physical therapist]? Once I got to know her a little better, it was good. I was really excited to swim.”
Kadence has since been able to make progress in her mobility, swim in aquatic therapy, and get involved with a new sport—power soccer.
“Turnstone is a really great place! You can swim here, you can play sports; you can do a lot of things here and it’s fun having all these things to do, especially because there’s nothing else like it at home,” said Kadence.
Kadence credits her power soccer teammates for motivating her to strive for her big goals and feel confident in her abilities. She has made new friends on the team who encourage her to be herself and get out of her comfort zone. Her mom has also enjoyed getting to know some of the other women who use the pool at Turnstone. This newfound community has been uplifting to Kadence and her mom during the first year at Turnstone.
“The thing I like most about Turnstone is that they give Kadence a chance to participate in activities that she wouldn’t normally be able to participate in,” said Kadence’s mom. “It’s great that she is able to be a part of a team and make friends.”
“The thing I enjoy the most about Turnstone is playing power soccer,” said Kadence. Kadence’s favorite memory at Turnstone was scoring her first goal at a power soccer tournament. This humble, rising power soccer star has a true passion for her sport. As a versatile player, Kadence loves to move the ball on the court but also enjoys playing as the goalie.
Outside of her passion for power soccer, Kadence also has big plans for the future. She aspires to become a doctor, nurse or fashion designer and her goal is to walk someday. With Turnstone, she is not only working towards these goals but is thriving in a supportive community that will give her the opportunity to reach them.
