A grateful mom shares heartfelt sentiments on her son’s happiness at Latham

In a moving letter to the Latham Community from parent Ann Gurney, she describes her journey to her son’s home-away-from-home at Latham. Excerpts follow:

My son Dylan dreams of becoming a firefighter. He wants to be a hero and save lives. Dylan is a Patriots fan, a loving friend and brother, and an expert on trains and railroads. He also has Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and is a student at Latham Centers’ residential school. Like many parents raising a child with special needs, I was overprotective. PWS is a life-long, life-threatening condition. I always believed that my love for my son was his greatest protection – a giant forcefield that would shield him from harm. I cared for him. I advocated for him. I wanted the best for him, and yet despite my fierce devotion and love, he was unhappy…

I could never have imagined how transformative Latham would be for Dylan. In the two years since Dylan was admitted to Latham Centers, he has lost 80 pounds. He is thriving… He told me, “I have wanted to have a best friend my entire life. Before I came here, I never had a friend – someone who stepped up and wanted me. Now I have friends, and I have nice teachers and clinicians. My life at Latham is so much better than before….”

We hope you’ll take a moment to read the full text of Ann’s letter here. As we begin the season of giving, Latham Centers would like to thank Ann for sharing her family’s story.