BeelievAbility
BeelievAbility is where Camilla had her first intensive therapy session and subsequent visits since her session. I felt Allie Maggie and Thistle needed their own post to really get into what The Hive is all about. I also wanted to shine a spotlight on the high energy, good vibes, genuine hearts and just fabulous souls that are Allie and Maggie. 🐝
Now to tell you about the wonderful hive that is BeelievAbilty! My initial intention with writing this was to dive into what The Hive was all about but as I wrote this I found myself writing about the people and not the place.
Here is some information about what Beelieveabitly is all about but I highly encourage you to check out their website, BeelievAbility.com and social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. They dive more into what their mission is all about, what a DMI session might entail and some great additional information about BeelievAbility and these amazing gals! BeelievAbility is a physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic providing DMI services in both intensive sessions (2 sessions/day every day for 1-3 weeks) and individual sessions (45 minute session weekly/biweekly/once a month).
The sessions are run by either Allie or Maggie (sometimes both) and Thistle, the sweet therapy dog. I must list off the credentials held between these two. Allie holds a Occupational Therapist Doctorate, Occupational Therapist Registered, Hippotherapy Level A, DMI Introductory Level C. Maggie holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physical Therapist, Hippotherapy Level A, DMI Introductory Level C. Aside from these ladies having some major knowledge with these credentials, this also means that the kids that come to work with Allie and Maggie are getting to work with therapists that have a diverse set of skills, knowledge and all sorts of different, common and unique techniques to incorporate into the sessions.
Now I would love to tell you more about the heart, the brains, (literal) muscle that is BeelievAbility; Allie, Maggie and of course sweet Thistle the therapy dog. These ladies pour their hearts, souls and sweat into their clinic, the families and most importantly the kids. You honestly feel the love from the moment you step into their door and it continues even after your sessions are over. The focus and dedication they have to each child that comes to see them is beyond…you can tell they truly love what they do. I’ve witnessed this first hand (obviously) but even from the videos they share on their Instagram/Facebook pages. We’ve shared videos from Millie’s sessions with our families and they can even feel that love and energy from Allie and Maggie. That positive and high energy just jumps out at you and is so evident!
Their approach is so personalized and unique to every client yet there are a few things that remain consistent. Allie and Maggie pour themselves completely into every session (I honestly don’t know how they maintain their strength and energy levels all day!), they boost confidence for the kids in such pivotal ways in such a short amount of time (and honestly for the parents too), they hone in on the skills/abilities already present and expand on those while simultaneously pushing through new skills. Speaking only for Millie on this last one but I have a feeling it's similar with other kids as well when working with Allie and Maggie. Camilla has such great PTs, OTs and STs in addition to the work she's done at the hive. These therapists have worked with her for years to develop that brain mapping to open up her current skills…Allie and Maggie did such a great job building off those skills and hard work already put into Camilla’s development. It took me taking a step back to realize they were part of Team Camilla from that first phone call…this wasn’t just a week long session but a heartfelt commitment to improving Camilla’s skills, development and way of life.
As I mentioned this was the first time we’ve done anything like this before, typically we are in once a week therapy sessions. In the past we’ve encountered some therapists that were sort of checked out when doing sessions or were just negative and dragged us down emotionally. We’ve also been SO VERY lucky to have therapists in Millie’s corner that are a dream and amazing! So going into this intensive I wasn’t sure that to expect since it was a different set up in terms of duration…I could tell this would be hard work (which was great) with high energy but I wasn’t expecting the personal and emotional buy-in from Allie and Maggie.
Everything happens for a reason and I don’t think it's a coincidence that we have Allie, Maggie and Thistle in our lives and in Millie’s corner. It always amazes me and makes my heart so happy how invested all of her therapists are with not only Camilla’s development but just her life. We have known some of her therapists for years and I can’t imagine not having them in our lives or even navigating some hurdles in the past without their help, guidance or encouragement. I hope that this is another one of those forever bonds for Camilla and our family.
I can’t end this without giving Thistle her own shoutout! Sweet Thistle is BeelievAbility’s therapy dog and she is one of the best pups around! She was such a great addition to Milie’s sessions and a fan favorite among the Richmond girls. It was cool to see how Thistle would be incorporated into different exercises, typically as a motivator for Millie who absolutely loved to give her treats. I also loved that Thistle was close by as a comfort as well…Thistle girl understands the assignment. When we are at home Gatsby is always close to the girls as a protective big brother but it was cool to see that dog intuition from another dog. There is even a baby Thistle at the clinic which was also incorporated into different exercises. Baby Thistle is a stuffed animal that, you guessed it, looks just like Thistle and comes with some fun accessories. Baby Thistle got just as much love as real Thistle by Camilla, Vivienne and Lucille…so much so that their aunt and uncle gifted them their very own for Christmas.
I want to share a few pictures from Camilla’s week at The Hive and one of the best videos from that week (and we had a lot of good ones). I shared another great video in the DMI article (link here) both of these videos encompasses the emotions and dedication poured into the kids and their sessions.
