Wheeler Family

Letter from Peter to his coworkers at Wheeler High School. They raised money to help with Amelia's hearing aids and speech therapies. Not only the staff but some of the student clubs raised money as well! Thank you to the Wheeler Science Olympiad, Leadership Club, Science Honors Society, Senior Class, Media Center, and FBLA.

Dear Wheeler Family,
Words cannot begin to express the sincere gratitude that Scarlett and I have towards you all for your extreme generosity to Amelia. I would like to say that I stayed strong and didn’t shed a tear when Patty handed me the card with your gift to Amelia’s, but those of you who know me best would know that I was lying. I became very emotional and at that moment felt the true compassion of the Wheeler’s arms around me and my family (actually still do writing this : )). I’ve been here for 10 years and have seen Wheeler help pick up or boost their own a number of times never imagining that one day my family would be the recipient of that love. My reaction was pretty much speechless (which you know is a feat all in its own right). For the caution that a student or young one may read this I cannot tell you Scarlett’s exact words, but they translate to WOW! A month and a half ago when we found out the news of Amelia’s hearing loss we felt as if our world had been flipped around on us and did not know what would lie ahead in the upcoming days, weeks, months, or years. Quickly we saw how wonderful our family and friends were to pick us up, research when we couldn’t think, and give that well needed hug. Little did we realize at that moment how much Amelia had been missing out on and how much more she would enjoy the world once she could wear hearing aids. As many of you already know we have had a set of loaner hearing aids for the last 3 weeks and she is a different girl : ) Prior to wearing these aids she would stare at whatever came directly in her line of vision rarely turning from side to side to see what was going on. The moment her second hearing aid was turned on she let her hand fall out of her mouth and turned to the side (very happy moment for dad) Now she is beginning to coo and is full of smiles and laughs all the time. Currently she is having about six different therapy sessions a month and with this continued early intervention (baring her not having a progressive hearing loss) by the time she would enter school she should be developmentally on track with most other students. Thank you so much for all of you who have provided advice, sent links for information, given me hugs/smiles, been a good friend, kept our family in your prayers, and were able to contribute financially towards her. I am lucky to be part of your staff and wish that I was better with words at times to better express myself, but you all are the absolute best! -Peter