Westhampton Beach Graduate Heading to South America to Help Children In Need

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY - For years, Casey Sheren has been a light in the Westhampton Beach community, a caring young women known for her bright, caring smile.

And now Casey, a 2010 graduate of Westhampton Beach High School, wants to help children miles from home find their own happy, confident smiles — and to be able to communicate in the world around them.

Casey kicked off a fundraising campaign this week for a trip she is taking to Neiva, Columbia through Healing the Children, to provide speech therapy to children with cleft palate who otherwise wouldn't have access to services.

So far, the GoFundMe has raised $520 of its $600 goal.

Donations of any amount before April 28 are greatly appreciated, she said. "The money I raise here will go directly towards purchasing supplies for the mission."

Casey, 23, said since beginning a master’s program in communication sciences and disorders at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York, she has learned how vital speech therapy is for children with cleft palate.

"Many people do not realize that once a child with cleft palate has his or her cleft repaired surgically, he or she does not miraculously learn how to speak on their own. As a professor of mine often explains, after the surgery, they have the equipment they need to speak, but they do not know how to use it," she said.

The child's speech cannot be understood by others without intensive speech therapy, she explained.

"In many societies, children with cleft palate who cannot speak intelligibly are alienated from society or, in some cases, their own families; In some parts of South America, they are not allowed to attend school," Casey said. "By providing speech therapy to these children, we are giving them a chance to be able to express themselves and use their speech to participate in the world around them."

As part of the mission trip, Casey's group will also aim to train parents to work with their children after they leave, so that they may continue to make progress in acquiring the speech sounds they need in order to be understood.

While Casey has not yet decided what sub-area of speech and language pathology she plans to specialize in after graduation, she looks forward to working with the children to make a difference and change lives.

Supplies needed for the surgical and therapy mission include everything from anesthesia for the operations to toys and games that can be used in therapy to teach children how to speak after their cleft palates have been repaired, she said.

On their first day in Neiva, the students can expect to see 1,000 children. "That’s a lot of supplies."

Casey, who grew up in Westhampton Beach, attended Tufts University outside of Boston to study child development, then spent a year in Spain teaching English as a second language, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders.

She's very excited to be taking part in the trip to Colombia and assisting in providing services that will change some families’ lives.

"Helping young children acquire speech will give them the opportunity to express their needs, opinions, and ideas, form relationships, and participate more fully in the world around them. That, I think, is a remarkable thing to work toward."

Those who donate can win prizes, too: For every $10 donated, Casey will enter the person's name in a raffle organized by Healing the Children with prizes such as a cruise vacation, Yankee versus Mets tickets, an iPad, Broadway musical tickets, golf tee time, and a dinner out in New York City. If $25, is donated, the name will be entered five times.