Meet three healthy,
happy sisters: K'liyah, 3 years old, Destiny, 23-months old, and 11-month old
Shanell. When K'liyah and Destiny were born, they
both were well below the normal healthy birth weight guideline of 5.5 lbs,
weighing in at just 3.13 lbs and 4.3 lbs respectively. Their mother Teresa
enrolled in Porter-Leath’s free Parents as Teachers home visitation program, or
as we call it, Cornerstone, four years ago while in the middle of her pregnancy
with Destiny.
Determined to become the best mother possible, Teresa worked with
her Parent Educator, Cassandra, over the next few years learning motor development skills for Destiny, about proper
nutrition and about minimizing stress. Cassandra visited the family
every two weeks over the next few years until mom became pregnant with Shanell.
As a result of her hard work, determination and effort, Teresa gave birth
to Shanell at a healthy birth weight of 6 lbs!
When asked her what was
her favorite thing about participating in the program, Teresa stated,
“EVERYTHING!” Because of Teresa's dedication, she has referred many new
families to the Parents as Teachers program for these new moms and dads to
learn how to become their baby's first teacher!
If you are an expecting mom, or want to learn more about Cornerstone, please call us at 901-577-2500.