We Get to Erase Their “Nevers”: Tammy Tells Her Story

Written by Kali Russell, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Student at University of MS Medical Center

Sixteen years ago, in January 2006, Little Light House of Central Mississippi opened its doors. The nonprofit, Christian developmental center began with the mission to serve children from birth to six years old with special needs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Maureen Harbison relocated to Mississippi from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she had volunteered at Little Light House of Tulsa.

After relocating, she immediately saw that Mississippi was lacking in the services offered to individuals with special needs, and children with special needs in particular, and she felt called to make a change. After raising money for a few years, Maureen started the affiliate location in Rankin County, Mississippi, which was housed inside of a church near the Reservoir, with just six children in one classroom with one teacher.

After being encouraged by Maureen to volunteer, Tammy Tadlock walked through the doors of Little Light House of Central, Mississippi with no idea what would come next. Six months later, she became an associate teacher with no experience working with children. Sixteen years later, Tammy still works at Little Light House, and has not only seen the change within the organization, but also within herself.
 
The following January, in 2007, the organization added a second classroom, and throughout the years, they were slowly able to open five classrooms. “Every time we gain enough funding, we add a classroom. In sixteen years, we grew from one classroom with six students, and four employees, to now being able to serve 40 children in 5 classrooms with 22 staff members.


Our staff includes occupational and physical therapists, speech language pathologists, and certified teachers,” says Tammy. There are currently over 60 children on our waiting list, and the current time it takes to get off of that list is 18 months to 2 years. It is devastating for families to hear this when calling. We want to instill hope in them, and as we grow, we can continue to serve their children as well as them.”

$17,000 a year. That is what it would cost for each child to attend Little Light House of Central, Mississippi, but it is TUITION-FREE. The care that children with special needs require and deserve is not easy to find in Mississippi.  Many two income households suffer because one parent must stay home, as many daycares or facilities are not equipped or willing to provide that level of care.

Tammy states, “When parents learn of their child’s diagnosis, they often feel alone and unsure of what to do or where to turn. They frequently hear all the things their child will NEVER be able to do. We celebrate everything here. We get to erase their “Nevers.” We are where probabilities and possibilities meet. Parents may hear, ‘Oh, your child probably won’t do this and they won’t do that,’ but at Little Light House all things are possible. What about that same mom whose little boy was told he would never walk, yet walked down the aisle with his walker at graduation? We celebrate everything here.”
 
Little Light House serves forty children, with teachers and therapists working together in the classrooms, for five hours a day, four days a week, and the impact it has on each child during crucial learning years is substantial. Tammy states, “One of the things I love about Little Light House is that our parents get to meet and talk with other parents who have those same fears and questions, and they also meet parents who have already been where they are. It is a support group that God has waiting for you.”

​The organization also prioritizes being an advocate for each child after they graduate and transition into the school district. “Parents may send a communication device with their child to their new school, but if the teacher is stressed with helping other kids, she may not have sufficient time to learn how to use it. So, we offer training courses for educators so they can be prepared to help children with devices when the time comes.”
 
“We would not be here without the community. From donations of cleaning and classroom supplies to money that allows us to pay a salary for a teacher or therapist, it all goes right back into supporting these children. We trust God and know He is going to supply for our needs,  and His timing is perfect,” says Tammy. Support from the community is allowing Little Light House to make a change in Mississippi and in the lives of the children with special needs, their families, and their communities, who need and deserve it.