January 2024 Special Needs Living Magazine

Achieving Everything She Puts Her Mind To! The Story Of Star Shaffer!

BY ANDREA HURR PHOTOS BY JULIAN CURET

Star Shaffer, a sophomore at Glen Oak High School, is truly a bright and shining star who spreads love, joy, and kindness everywhere she goes. Although Star happens to have Down syndrome, she chooses not to let it define her. She is a very social 16-year-old with a great sense of humor who loves life, dressing up, doing her hair and make-up, and like most teenagers, spending entirely too much time on her iPhone. Star is also an avid reader and superb speller with an extensive vocabulary. When she doesn’t know the meaning of a word, she will google it and learn it!

Star’s parents, Randy and Lisa Shaffer decided early on that they would never allow limits to be placed on her. “We have always given Star the opportunity to try everything she is interested in because she always learns an important skill and becomes a more well-rounded person from everything, she has enrolled herself in. She is one tenacious young lady who we know can achieve anything she puts her mind to.” However, being born with not only Down syndrome but also two large holes in her heart, low muscle tone, and bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss meant that Star would face many obstacles.

Soon after birth, Star’s parents enrolled her in occupational and physical therapy through Help Me Grow. Knowing that “it is imperative to surround yourself with good positive, supportive people who are going through similar battles,” Lisa joined DSSN, a local support group for moms of children with Down Syndrome run by Nikki Papoulides, which has been a huge blessing to their family. Through them, the Shaffer’s learned about the Down Syndrome Clinic at Akron Children’s Hospital where they promptly took Star to be examined by their team of experts. During their visit, the pediatric cardiologist found two large holes in her heart, and at six months old, baby Star underwent a successful open-heart surgery. However, another blow quickly followed in the form of a bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss diagnosis. At 9 months, Star braved another procedure to place tubes in her ears and a few weeks afterward, she began wearing hearing aids. Star’s audiologist connected them with the Regional Infant Hearing Program who helped them with the hearing aids and set them up with therapists to teach Star how to listen and identify words. In addition, Lisa chose to teach Star sign language, explaining that babies with hearing loss are often slow to talk and learning sign language helped her to communicate at a much earlier age. After attending toddler class at Eastgate at the age of two, Star followed up with three years at SPEAK preschool where she successfully learned to talk. When it came time for kindergarten, Star attended with her typical peers and has been included in regular classes within the Plain Local School District (who, Lisa points out, have done a stellar job implementing inclusion) ever since. During her elementary years, Star continued to spend long hours in therapy working extensively on finger strengthening and handwriting skills and ultimately cementing her wonderful legible penmanship. To develop her core strength, Star attended equestrian riding lessons at Pegasus Farm for 10 years where her love of horses blossomed.

Through sheer hard work and unwavering determination, Star continues to overcome challenges and amaze everyone around her. She is thoughtful, delightful, and a very involved and active teenager.

Presently, Star attends Bright Minds Learning Academy (since 2021) where she receives math and reading tutoring twice a week. Lisa speaks very highly of Bright Minds and Sheila Lahoti who devised this program. Star absolutely loves going and it has helped her to become a more self-reliant, confident, and successful student in school. Star stays busy with an after-school social club, exercise and cooking classes at Gigi’s Playhouse, and playing baseball in a Canton Challenger League. Star loves acting and has been taking drama classes at school since the 5th grade where she memorizes monologues and participates in the Christmas play every year. However, Star is most passionate about her martial arts training. She has been taking lessons for nine years at East Coast Martial Arts where she has successfully learned self-defense, Jiu Jitsu and sparring. Currently a purple tip, she is determined to one day earn her black belt. In her free time, Star enjoys listening to music, singing, attending the theater, watching the Cavs, traveling and spending time with family.

After high school, Star plans to attend college, live on her own, and be fully independent with a good meaningful job. When asked what her future aspirations are, Star specified, “I want to be an actress, work in a flower shop, or teach little kids. I also definitely want to work at a veterinarian hospital or animal shelter because I love animals.”

Whatever path this strong-willed and tenacious young lady chooses, one thing is clear: Star’s choice to not let Down syndrome define her, far outweighs her abilities in showing the world what she is truly capable of and in paving the way for a very bright and successful future.