Clearbrook's respite workers love what they do

Tracy and Mike Roth get joy and love from their 2-year-old daughter, Finley, despite her many physical problems that include difficulty seeing, hearing and swallowing.

Because of balance issues, she cannot walk yet.

After two open heart surgeries, though, Finley's healthier than she was.

Her charms work even on people outside her family.

She has completely won over Sylvia Walker, who as a respite volunteer visits the Roths' Arlington Heights home weekly despite her own busy life with a marketing job, husband, grown son and stepchildren and young step-grandchildren.

For up to four hours, Walker plays with Finley and her favorite lighted toys, and roughhouses with her 5-year-old brother, Nate.

Sylvia Walker and Tracy Roth are two sides of the same story — each very grateful for what the other brings to her life.

“When they told me I was eligible for respite care, I literally started to cry,” said Tracy Roth, whose daughter was born with a rare condition called CHARGE Syndrome. “The thought of just having that time to do whatever. My husband and I go out to dinner or we take our son out because we want to make things as normal as possible for him.

“Finley requires so much attention. For two or three hours, I can step away and not worry about changing her diaper or whatever it might be. It's a break from the concern of all the medical stuff.”

Walker, of Arlington Heights, is a volunteer with the Take a Break program organized by Arlington Heights-based Clearbrook to help families of special needs children up to 4 years old.

Take a Break also operates a drop-off program in Rolling Meadows, one in Waukegan with Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County, and is planning to open one in DuPage County.

While respite programs have traditionally used state funds to pay workers, the Clearbrook early childhood ones are unusual because their trained volunteers receive no money, said Tina Yurik, coordinator of the programs.

Walker's often asked why she donates her time like this.

“It's reward enough when this little one looks at you and smiles or snuggles up, or Nate gives you a hug,” Walker said. “I just feel like I want to do more rather than just sit in an office and push paper around. Here I am making a difference. This becomes an extension of your family.”

Finley, who works with seven different therapists, continues to progress and will have a cochlear implant Dec. 20 to improve her hearing, which should help her learn to talk. Her mother works from home as a health and benefits consultant for Lincolnshire-based Aon Hewitt.

“These children are intelligent but are held back by being deaf and blind,” said Tracy Roth. “Plenty of adults with CHARGE have been to college and hold jobs. They usually find a way to overcome their difficulties. On average, they walk around age 4 and can still learn to read. They find a way to do it, but it might take a little bit longer.”

Marisa Milos, a senior at Prospect High School and a resident of Mount Prospect, volunteers at Clearbrook's drop-off center in Rolling Meadows, which serves children up to age 5 and their siblings.

Marisa and friend Kelly Szafranski have been volunteering since eighth grade. They usually work one-on-one with a child, taking him or her to the park, doing crafts, and supervising interaction with other children.

The young women started as part of a community service requirement for their religion classes.

“We just kept going and fell in love with it. Sometimes I think I get more out of this than the kids we work with,” Marisa said.

The young volunteer likes seeing the youngsters grow and develop, smile with recognition when they see her, and learn like other children.

“I see them do something, and I think ‘I helped them learn that.' It's such a rewarding feeling.”

Marisa admits she was nervous about working with disabled youngsters because she didn't know what to expect.

“It takes a certain kind of person to work with kids with special needs,” she said. “You need to learn they're just like any other kid, and you shouldn't treat them any different. I'm never afraid to just play with them like I would with my own little brother and sister.”

Each drop-off center operates twice a month, and parents who call in advance to make a reservation can leave all their children for four hours of supervised play, Yurik said.

Yurik and Diane Zuehlke of Mount Prospect started the drop-off program in 2007, but the in-home one has been operating since 1998.

Thirty families with children from babies through age 4 receive in-home help, but more than 20 are on the waiting list because more volunteers are needed. Volunteers for the in-home program must go through 16 to 20 hours of training, including learning first aid and CPR.

Teens who volunteer often choose careers in teaching or therapy, Yurik said.

“They see the parents drop the kids off and see them when they pick up, and see what a difference a break can be. They go up and tell the parents this is what your child did,” she said.

“And the parents are so grateful. They say, ‘Thank you. This is what we did — we went out for breakfast at IHOP, or we got our grocery shopping done.'”

Ÿ Anyone interested in volunteering or receiving services should contact Tina Yurik at (847) 392-2812, ext. 35 or tyurik@clearbrook.org.

Volunteers wanted

Clearbrook, which provides services to people with disabilities, is looking for more volunteers for its Take a Break program to provide respite, or breaks, for parents of young children with special needs.

Ÿ Volunteers who work in clients' homes must be 22

Ÿ Teen volunteers can work at drop-in centers in Rolling Meadows and Waukegan

Ÿ The program is based in Arlington Heights and provides services in the North and Northwest suburbs

Ÿ To volunteer or to receive services, contact Tina Yurik at (847) 392-2812, ext. 35, or tyurik@clearbrook.org