Hailey had fought a long battle with substance abuse, a disease that runs in her family, when her addictions caused her to lose custody of her children. Following her devastating loss, when Hailey discovered that she was pregnant again, she turned to Great Starts.
Great Starts a program offered by the Helen Ross McNabb Center, and it provides substance abuse and mental health treatment for pregnant or parenting women. Hailey was looking for help to get her life back on track and ensure the safety and happiness of her new baby, and Great Starts was the perfect solution. While living there, Hailey successfully delivered her baby at a healthy gestational stage and birth weight. Great Starts doesn’t only provide helpful programs for mothers, though; once he was old enough, Hailey’s baby began childcare at Great Starts and continued learning and developing there until her graduation.
Due to his prenatal substance exposure, Hailey’s baby was at increased risk for developmental delays and received services and screenings to ensure his regular and healthy development. Even after his mother’s graduation he has access to regular developmental screenings, and Hailey has access to therapy sessions to make certain that both mother and child continue growing and healing with all the support they need.
United Way is proud to be a major supporter and sponsor of the Helen Ross McNabb Center and its wonderful programs that help the women and children of Greater Knoxville. Donations to United Way not only help programs like Great Starts, they fund programs that will support people like Hailey and her baby for years to come. Together we work to improve the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of everyone in our community. Change doesn’t happen alone. To live better, we must LIVE UNITED.