Learn more
		Where your money goes How we support children, youth and families
Print version Forward this Article Subscribe to e-mail

As Executive Vice President of Claims and Service for Safeco Insurance, Dale Lauer knows all about troubleshooting problems. But when his daughter, Heidi, was born seven weeks premature and began experiencing developmental problems, Dale and his wife, Patti, were unsure how to help her.

Heidi weighed only four pounds at birth and suffered from several physical problems. After about a month in intensive care she was sent home. It was there that Dale and Patti noticed Heidi wasn't using her muscles to move around in her crib. They took her to a specialist who determined that problems with her brain's frontal lobe were affecting her ability to develop motor skills. Her parents were told that Heidi may never walk, talk or be able to live independently.

The specialist recommended an agency supported by local United Way investments that worked to help children with developmental delays. The agency, like United Way of King County, believed that early intervention and parental support could make a noticeable difference in Heidi's quality of life. After a year of therapy for her and support classes for her parents, Heidi's development significantly improved.

Thanks to the help she received, Heidi, now 28, leads an independent and productive life. After graduating from high school with honors, she attended college, where she was one of the top students in her class. She recently married and has a new life with her husband and a new home. All things she would never have been able to do without the dedication and support of her family and the help she received through United Way investments.

Dale's gratitude is ongoing. "My family benefited from our local United Way, and I know that the work United Way of King County is doing makes a tremendous impact on people just like us," Dale said. "That's why I choose to give my time and money to the organization." A long-time volunteer for United Way of King County, Dale currently sits on its board of directors.

Helping parents identify and overcome a child's developmental delays early is one of many ways United Way of King County works to ensure that children are able to reach their fullest potential.

Back to Success Stories