With a carefree smile and the purest heart, Tempa is a social butterfly who loves being around people.
At two years old, she’s already made her mark on the world and inspired countless lives with her resilience.
Shortly after she was born, Tempa was diagnosed with Non Ketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare genetic condition that leads to serious neurological problems and severe developmental disability, with a very short life expectancy.
“We were painted a very bleak picture for her life and were devastated but remained hopeful for the life that God had planned for her through our family’s faith and trust in Christ,” explained Tempa’s Mom, Sarah.
After her diagnosis, Tempa’s parents, Sarah and Jake, enrolled her in occupational, speech and physical therapy at Joya to give her the best possible chance at beating expectations. And that’s exactly what she did.
Because of her condition, Tempa struggles with significant developmental delays and seizures, and she is unable to sit, walk or talk independently. But through her two years at Joya, Tempa has made tremendous progress and now finds joy in playing games, listening to music, and being around her therapists and the people she loves.
“We later found out that many children with this condition beat the odds and outlooks that are given to them,” said Sarah. “She has surpassed our expectations and is such a gift to our family.”
Joya helped Tempa’s family navigate the uncertainties of her condition and equipped them with helpful strategies and exercises to improve her progress across all developmental areas.
“We were connected with Joya very early in her life and have been so grateful for their help,” Sarah said. “We look forward to continuing our work with Joya to improve Tempa’s outcome and quality of life as best as possible.”
*Originally published in March 2023