Our Shining Stars

Nate

After watching my son struggle for so long, I felt completely overwhelmed and lost. 

I spent countless hours trying to find the right resources, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Then, I was introduced to the Starry Foundation, and everything changed. They were the calm in what had felt like an unending storm.

The Starry Foundation not only arranged for a thorough neuropsychological evaluation, but they also fully funded it, which lifted a massive financial burden off my shoulders. Following the results, they took the time to understand our situation and connected us with the most qualified therapists who could help my son get on the right path. It was clear from the start that they genuinely cared about us, and that feeling of being supported made all the difference.

For the first time in a while, I felt hopeful and confident in our journey ahead. Their compassion, understanding, and financial support have been a true gift, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they’ve done to help my son and our family.

Olivia

My daughter Olivia, who is seven years old and currently in second grade, has faced significant challenges in her education this year. After transferring her to three different schools, I found myself repeatedly confronting the same issue: she struggles to stay still and has difficulty concentrating. As Olivia is my only daughter, I felt lost and discouraged, questioning my parenting choices and wondering how I could help her build confidence and a sense of capability in her academic environment. 

In my search for solutions, I reached out to my friend Stephanie Larson, who shared her positive experiences with the Starry Foundation. This organization specializes in supporting neurodivergent children and their families by providing access to a diverse range of medical professionals, including doctors, psychologists, and neurologists, to help assess and address my daughter’s needs. 

After months of independent research, I decided to take a leap of faith and engage with the Starry Foundation and its team, including Bobby. This decision has proven transformative. Olivia underwent a thorough evaluation, and I finally felt a sense of hope as the answers I had been seeking began to emerge through the resources offered by the foundation. 

Today, my daughter is thriving in a school environment that accommodates her unique needs, allowing her to excel academically. She is more confident, and her voice is now recognized by her teachers, guidance counselors, and peers. I am profoundly grateful to the Starry Foundation for guiding my daughter onto a path of growth and success. Their support has been invaluable, and I look forward to her continuing progress.

Asher

Asher, 11 yrs-old, is at the center of a multifaceted family situation, navigating the complexities of divorce, remarriage, and his stepfather's battle with brain cancer. Born into a family with two younger half-siblings from his stepfather's previous marriage, Asher and his brother Jonah have faced numerous challenges from early childhood, including developmental delays necessitating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) since preschool.

Nicole recognizes the urgent need for Asher to receive comprehensive diagnostic testing to better understand and address his unique needs. She believes that a precise diagnosis will not only facilitate tailored support but also empower Asher to embrace his identity and navigate his educational journey with confidence. Moreover, she seeks financial assistance to provide Asher with access to specialized education, such as enrollment at Gateway, where he can receive the individualized attention and support necessary for his academic and social growth.

In essence, Asher's story reflects resilience amidst adversity, underscored by a mother's unwavering determination to ensure her son's well-being and success despite significant challenges.

Dominic

Dominic is 7-years-old. While other children his age have had the opportunity to go to school and socialize with their peers, Dominic has not. Per Dominic’s mother, Dolores, he has been unable to attend school due to his behaviors. Dominic has serious difficulties with any type of change and is over stimulated with patterns and colors, even having “fits” when his family wear bright colors and patterns on their clothing.

He has no history of any neurological or medical diagnosis and has not had any previous developmental diagnostic evaluation.

Dominic also has severe trouble with incontinence. His family has tried, but have been unsuccessful with potty training and, at 7-years old, he is still in diapers. His behaviors are also becoming more difficult for his family to control. When Dominic is over stimulated and upset, he lashes out at his family and his mother receives the brunt of it, being hit and bitten by Dominic on some occasions. Dominic’s mother, and entire family, are desperate to understand what is going on with their child. Dominic is due to begin school in the fall and his family need to be able to coordinate and communicate with his school.

Dominic has been unable to get a diagnosis. Dominic’s parent’s insurance does not cover evaluations, and even thought his mother was able to place him on a wait list, the wait list has a 6+ month wait. Dolores feels that a proper diagnosis for Dominic is necessary to get the care he needs to grow and succeed. She also wants to be able to understand her son and be able to help him and be there for him.

Fernando

Fernando is 11 years old and big brother to 2 younger siblings with ASD and developmental delays. Fernando himself was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019. His mother, Amellay, has applied for the grant to “Get clarity for him and help him as far as getting him therapies. It has really impacted his daily living and he has been struggling so much at school and not being able to be around other peers. He has so many self doubts and it has been affecting him mentally and I worry so much about him.”

As Amellay describes, Fernado has been having increasing difficulties at home and school. His behavior is a daily issue with teachers and he has been known to have fits of rage where he throws toys, screams, slams doors, punches walls, and locks himself away in his room.
He has also had increased sensory issues. He has become more sensitive to sounds and textures, making it difficult to dress as many clothes affect this sensitivity.

At school, Fernando has issues with keeping focus and can’t keep friends at school. He spends much of his time alone. Fernando also has a stutter that is exacerbated when he feels frustrated, which, according to his mother, happens often. Amellaly says that she feels guilty about waiting so long to get Fernando Diagnosed and thinks it may be “too late” for him, but hopes she is wrong.

His behaviors have affected not only his home and school life, but also his mental health. Often Fernando will make statements such as, “I don’t know what to do with myself.” or “I’m always doing everything wrong. I can never do anything right.”
Amellaly feels that having Fernando evaluated and diagnosed will give him and the family access to the help and guidance they need.

Aylen

Aylen is 8 years old and lives with both parents in a tiny 550-square-foot apartment with no car. Aylen faces challenges in fine motor skills such as handwriting, using a fork, body and spatial awareness (lots of bumping and bruising), and angry outbursts when frustrated with his inability for his body to keep up with his active mind. After reading an article about a "sensory-seeking" child who kept his finger on a hot lightbulb until the skin was blistered only a week after Aylen had burned his finger in the same way, his family was desperate for help. With the help of Starry Foundation, Aylen gets OT (occupational therapy) to help him control his body (saving him from harm) and helps keep his emotions and behaviors from getting too frustrated or destructive.

Stella

Stella is 10 years old and her parents are first-generation immigrants from Hong Kong and Vietnam. Stella was diagnosed with Anxiety and Adjustment disorder in second grade and later diagnosed through participating in a study at UCSF that she was on the autism spectrum. Although Stella demonstrated a variety of symptoms that warranted further evaluation, there was a 6-12 month waiting list at local hospitals with the primary focus being on testing younger children under the age of 3. Stella struggled with verbalizing her feelings, sensory meltdowns like overeating without feeling full, overheating without taking off layers of clothing, and a constant feeling of needing to urinate. She also had poor body awareness showing as being clumsy, rough-housing, a craving for deep pressure, crashing into things, high pain tolerance, and a need to run, jump, or cartwheel everywhere. Her family was constantly worrying about her safety. Through evaluations and OT funded by Starry Foundation, Stella's family learned how to read her cues and behaviors to proactively give her the tools she needs to curb her behavior to be safer. Their hope is for continued funding for OT support as she enters middle school, as their online business suffered during the pandemic and the government assistance they used for groceries and basic needs has ended.