Meet Malorie Blake & her Family

By: Maria Smietana

Malorie Blake has some blunt advice for fellow parents of special needs children: “Don’t waste your time and energy on the comparison game. I did it for so long, especially in the beginning. It only prevents you from seeing your child’s true potential.” A mom of three, Malorie grieved for a long time after the birth of her oldest child, knowing that the life she had envisioned for her daughter would not be her reality. Nevertheless, Makenzie, now 8, has continued to grow, change, and meet milestones, just like any kid. They [special needs children] will get there,” Malorie said. “It may look different, but they will get there.”

Makenzie is a third grader at Yorktown Elementary School in Yorktown, Indiana. She has her dad’s long, lanky limbs and distinctive eyes, and her mom’s winning smile. For the majority of the school day, she attends mainstream classes but has an individual education plan (IEP) and also attends special education class. Additionally, the school provides her with services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy (PT, OT, ST). A 1:1 aide is with her throughout the day. Makenzie’s younger sister Arya, 5, is a kindergartener at Pleasant View Elementary. The Blake’s youngest child is son Bo, 2. Originally from the Harrisburg area, the Blakes moved to Indiana in 2019, when Malorie’s husband Josh took a job as a superintendent with WestRock Company in Eaton, IN.

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Malorie is a registered dietician who consults for other nutrition professionals. Her business is home-based, allowing her the flexibility to take Mackenzie to outpatient PT, OT, and ST at IU Health, therapy she needs in addition to what the school system provides for her.

Though school and therapy take up much of Makenzie’s week, sports are as much a part of her life as they are for other kids. “Depending on the season, Makenzie likes to swim and play adaptive sports such as baseball,” her mom said. “She also does adaptive skiing, rides her adaptive bike, and participates in horseback riding.” Her quieter passions include reading, playing on her iPad, and listening to music. “She loves anything with a good beat--it doesn’t matter if it is rock, country, pop, or hip-hop. She also likes to watch the Wiggles.”

Leaving the house, whether for dining out or going on vacation, requires a bit more planning for the Blakes than for the average family. “Having a special needs child definitely influences where we eat,” Melanie said. “We need to make sure there is adequate space and seating so that her wheelchair can fit. We don’t eat at restaurants often, but Makenzie loves Blaze pizza!”

Thankfully, Makenzie has always been able to eat by mouth and has had no dietary restrictions. “Because of my profession, we are very health-conscious,” Malorie said. “I have worked a lot with nutrition intervention to help those with neurodevelopmental issues, so we incorporate some of these strategies with Makenzie’s daily intake. She is a big vegetable eater-that child will ask for seconds of most veggies I make her!” But-no surprise-pizza is still her number one favorite.

“For the holidays and special celebrations, family usually travels to us since it is hard to travel with so much equipment and three kids,” Melanie laughed. “When we do travel, we do things water related, since Makenzie loves the water. We go to Kalahari [Resorts] which offer indoor and outdoor swim parks. Being well-prepared is the best advice I can give. Call ahead, ask around, research places for accessibility features.”

When the Blakes moved from Pennsylvania, they chose Yorktown based on the school district’s amazing reputation, and they’re grateful to have found a remarkable community, too. “We have such amazing people in our neighborhood,” Malorie said. “It is stressful enough moving to a new state and not knowing anyone, but moving with a special needs child is a whole other animal. We could not be happier with the support Makenzie receives at school, and since day one our community has been so inclusive and supportive.”

The neighborhood has great walking trails, so the whole family often takes walks in the evenings and on weekends. And it’s not a far drive to Fishers, where the Roy G. Holland Park has an awesome playground that is wheelchair accessible and has swings that Makenzie loves.

The Blakes are big Disney fans, so they watch a lot of Disney musicals when relaxing at home. Makenzie especially loves Moana. On football days, mom roots for the Steelers and dad for the Eagles, while Makenzie happily cheers for both.

Parents of special needs children are always looking for ways to improve their child’s life and the Blakes are no exception. In the near future, Makenzie will be receiving a skilled companion dog through Canine Companions for Independence, something she is very excited about. Skilled companion dogs are trained to work not only under the supervision of the special needs individual, but under a facilitator, which is usually a parent or other caregiver. To learn more about Canine Companions, see www.cci.org.

Thanks to clinical research pioneered by Duke University, the other big event in Makenzie’s future will be receiving an infusion of sibling [umbilical] cord blood, which was saved when her little brother was born. Using cord blood for children with cerebral palsy has shown promise at improving both motor and cognitive function. “We have been following the research for quite a while now and will soon be able to receive the treatment for Makenzie,” said Malorie. https://pediatrics.duke.edu/news/umbilical-cord-blood-improvesmotor-skills-some-children-cerebral-palsy.

“Being a special needs parent is hard, no need to sugar-coat it,” Malorie said. “But it is also incredibly awesome at the same time. Watching your child defying odds and reaching milestones (however small) really puts things into perspective. Once you get the diagnosis (whatever that may be), your priorities change. When Makenzie was first born, I felt so overwhelmed, lonely, and scared. I grieved for the child I was “supposed” to have. But as time went on, we learned to adapt, and we embraced this way of life. Having a supportive community, friends, and family has been a big part of our healing journey.”

Malorie still finds comfort in re-reading the “Welcome to Holland” essay, written by Emily Kingsley in 1987, about raising a child with a disability. “If you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland,” reads the last sentence. https://www. dsasc.ca/uploads/8/5/3/9/8539131/welcome_to_holland.pdf

Above all, Malorie encourages families of special needs children to connect with each other, whether in person or virtually. “I have found the Instagram community to be a huge network of

special needs families that want to share their stories and resources with others, and you can find local friends, too.

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to be in an upcoming issue of Special Needs Living? Email us at SpecialNeedsLivingIndy@n2pub.com