Cydney’s Story

Our granddaughter Cydney became stuck in a rut with daycare.  She found no stimulation for her brain, no movement for her body and the list could go on.  We were so pleased that she was secure enough at such a young age to tell us how unhappy she was with the daycare. We heard her, and once we listened to her words, what became very apparent to us is we better fix this and look at alternative options as quickly as we possibly.  We began to actually see her physically decline and mentally become “stale”. She enjoyed her piano lessons.
However, that was not enough.

After the summer holidays and being in Daycare five days a week, then watching Cydney go back to school full time, it would take at least one month for her to get back into the swing of things at school. She could hardly remember what she had learned the year before all because she was not stimulated and provided with the activities that we were promised with the Daycare. We found she thrived at school. After a summer at Daycare she went dormant.

We were looking for another avenue for Cydney during school breaks, PA days etc. as we worked. It was not until her daycare provider said she was ceasing daycare that we got the push we needed.  A YMCA booklet was picked up as we were leaving the Quinte West Library. When we arrived home, Cydney put the booklet on the table. Cydney’s grandfather happened to pick it up and said, “A YMCA in Trenton, that’s a waste of money!”

With that statement being said, now this is where the story begins.

Crow is best served on toast with a cup of tea to help wash it down.  At least that is what I think when I hear my husband say, “I WAS WRONG!”  He tells everyone about the YMCA and their offered programs and what the “Y” has done for his granddaughter.

Cydney has been an active member of the Quinte West YMCA for a while now.  She was not quite sure about the YMCA when she first walked through the doors.  We were not sure if she would put one foot in front of the other.  She was a little backward, very shy, quiet and kept looking at us to make sure it was OK for her to explore the building.

Cydney is now 10 years old and flourishing.  We have the report cards to prove this. We wake up with the smiles every morning.  Her organization, thought process, focus, for that matter every fiber of her being has changed. She is mentally and physically challenged and stimulated and keeps a smile on her face and certainly has a “can do” attitude.  She can hardly wait to walk through the YMCA’s doors and believe it or not, she has made the Quinte West YMCA facility hers.  From the first hello she gives to all the staff to the “See you tomorrow!” as we leave.

You see the YMCA is a building. But the reason our family enters this building, is without a doubt, the YMCA staff that keeps us coming back. From the individuals that sanitize the building to the fitness/swimming instructors, the smiles, kind words, the stimulating and creative activities developed for the young and young at heart.

Thank you YMCA staff for your praise, kind words, helpful suggestions and showing Cydney all the possibilities awaiting her.