GoFundMe Page Helps Speech-Impaired Son Of Stew Leonard's Worker

NORWALK, CT — The Pecors knew early on that their young son, Matthew, was experiencing difficulty speaking, but they didn't know why.

"He didn't play with toys in the way other children did. He didn't look up when you said his name, no matter how many times you repeated it," wrote his mother, Melissa, on GoFundMe. "He rarely made eye contact. He'd climb anything and everything and loved pushing heavy toys and furniture around. He was obsessed with everything Paw Patrol (and only Paw Patrol!) and didn't show a strong interest in anything else.

"The biggest sign was his speech."

After a multitude of therapy sessions and tests, Matthew, who is also Austistic, was eventually diagnosed with developmental verbal dyspraxia (it is also referred to as childhood apraxia of speech and developmental apraxia of speech).

What this means is that Matthew's "brain has problems planning to move the body parts (ie lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech," according to his mother, a Torrington resident who works at Stew Leonard's in Norwalk.

To help him develop speech, Matthew is scheduled to undergo a procedure in the coming weeks at Duke University Medical Center using stem cells from his cord blood to help the damaged parts of his brain regenerate the ability to speak.

The procedure costs $30,000, and Melissa Pecor has set up a GoFundMe page seeking donations to help with the expense. As of July 16, the family has raised $8,800 toward the goal of $30,000.

"I just want my son to have every chance possible in life, isn't that what we all want for our kids?" she wrote. "Matthew is an amazing child. He's sweet and smart and has the funniest sense of humor."

Click here to view Matthew Pecor's GoFundMe page.

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