Our names are Maria Luisa and Natalie Leija, and we’re the proud mother and sister of Mateo Leija. Mateo is the youngest of five siblings, including Natalie, 23; Luis Jr., 26; Sebastian, 18; and Michael, 16.

When I was expecting Mateo, we were told he had an irregular heartbeat, which required me to constantly change positions to ensure his heart was still beating. At only 7 months old, he required open-heart surgery to repair two holes in his heart. Mateo quickly recovered in only one week, surprising his doctors who had predicted a two-month recovery time. Even as a baby, Mateo showcased his resilience.

Another challenge my family had not encountered previously was raising a child with special needs. Mateo is a child with Down Syndrome, which we hadn’t known until he was born. His diagnosis didn’t scare us, but we knew raising Mateo would be an entirely different challenge. Natalie believes that our life had not truly begun until Mateo joined our family. We can’t remember our life before him.

Because of his Down Syndrome, Mateo experienced many developmental delays, including delays in his speech and physical strength, which did not allow him to enjoy everything that comes along with being a child. Mateo was not able to speak, eat, or move around independently. We knew we needed to find our beloved boy some extra help. Luckily, we were referred to the Moody Clinic, where Mateo currently receives speech and occupational therapy. The Moody Clinic staff is like family to us. Mateo’s therapists have greatly improved his quality of life, along with ours.

Today, Mateo is able to express his wants and needs, including when he’s hungry, when he wants to go play outside, or when he wants to sing along to his favorite songs. We have seen great improvements in his communication, fine motor skills, and self-esteem, which has been one of our life’s greatest joys. Without Moody Clinic, Mateo wouldn’t be where he is today.

Please consider supporting Moody Clinic, and give the gift of therapy to another child like Mateo!

Annual Appeal 2024-2025