Best of All January 2023 Issue – Ollie

Back in 2021, Ollie’s family returned to Indiana and was seeking community. Ollie was just a newborn when they heard about GiGi’s Playhouse Indianapolis and they were immediately eager to join us.

Ollie has been involved in a variety of programs at the playhouse such as Crawlers and Walkers, LMNOP, Backpack Buddies, Open Play and Music! At each and every program, Ollie is ready to participate and hang out with his friends. Recently at LMNOP, Ollie showed his friends his new skill – walking!

Click HERE to watch him walk into his friends arms where he is greeted with a celebratory hug!

“It’s said a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  For Ollie, that single step has been a journey in and of itself.  He’s always been a motivated little guy. From rolling to crawling to cruising, he’s found a way to get around, but we noticed his ankles were very pliable, even compared to his LMNOP buddies.  He received SMOs at 18 months and they helped with the cruising, but still, no walking.  We purchased him various push toys and continued to work with him daily, but still, no walking.  His First Steps PT lent him a K-walker, which was great for walking around the neighborhood in the summer and building muscles, but still, no independent walking.  Watching other kids walk really inspired Ollie!  He’d try to stand at the park without assistance like the other kids, or take a few steps at GiGi’s with his buddies, but everything is in Ollie’s time. 

With his 3rd birthday just a few weeks away, we’re so excited to watch our little boy become a better walker every day. It’s been a long journey and he knows how hard he had to work to get here. When he walks to the dining table at dinner time or from the car to the front door he beams ear to ear because he is so proud of his accomplishment and it simply fills our hearts. We could not be more proud of our son Ollie (aka OllieBearGiggles) and grateful for our local GiGi’s organization and the lifelong friends we have made thus far!”

– Ollie’s Parents