My Founding Story

My son, Noah, was born in June 2020, 6 weeks prematurely, in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He spent 4 weeks in the NICU and was discharged in good health with two simple reminders: that he would most likely achieve milestones on a slightly delayed schedule, and that we should keep his ‘adjusted age’ in mind when tracking his achievements.

As Noah got older, there was a feeling I couldn’t quite shake that his physical movements were behind similar age babies, even when accounting for his prematurity. I would see other babies on social media who were barrel rolling across rooms while Noah was content to bat at toys above his head. I could only remember him rolling a few times. I reminded myself that he was supposed to be a few weeks behind, but as we got closer to the typical age for crawling (9 months) and he couldn’t get on hands and knees, my anxiety intensified. I found myself googling ‘how to help babies crawl’ and ‘what to do when your baby can’t crawl’. I couldn’t find any resources that were personalized to our situation. When I would bring up my worries to other parents and caregivers, they were often dismissive, citing his prematurity and that children develop on their own timeline. Though both of those messages are true, I felt unheard, and that I was singularly responsible for making sure Noah did not fall behind.

I brought up my concerns to our pediatrician at his 9-month visit and was once again dismissed. The pediatrician was not worried, especially given his early arrival, and simply suggested that we check back in at his 12-month appointment. Four more weeks passed, without any noticeable improvement, so I started to call local Early Intervention offices when I realized I could self-refer. I left voicemails for a few Massachusetts branches, and finally received a call back letting me know that I could schedule Noah’s assessment in 2.5 months, and if he was deemed eligible, services would begin 1-2 months later.

I looked at my then 10-month-old and realized we wouldn’t have answers or support until well after his 1^st birthday. I felt completely powerless. I called our pediatrician again and asked to be referred to Boston Children’s Hospital, where I was hopeful that as an employee, I would be able to access services quickly. Noah was seen within a few weeks of requesting an appointment and we did in-person physical therapy with him for 7 months. I am eternally grateful to the clinicians at BCH for listening to my concerns and validating that I was right to ask for help.

Today, Noah is a thriving 3.5-year-old who can keep up with his peers on the playground and has more energy than we know how to handle. We were lucky that Noah was able to access physical therapy support when he needed it, and that our family had the privilege of advocating for him when he was little. It shouldn’t be this difficult to provide all families with the support they need, and that is why we created Ladder Health.  I had the opportunity to combine my lived experience with Noah with my job at Boston Children’s Hospital where our team was responsible for identifying new opportunities in digital health where BCH could lead the way.

In partnership with 25m Health, we’ve built a comprehensive care platform for early childhood development. Our goal is to serve as a trusted partner for families in early intervention care, providing the support and care needed to help children like Noah thrive.  We are starting with Massachusetts, and families can sign up here to access the platform and Ladder resources. Not in Massachusetts and want Ladder to come to your state? Please enter your information on our waitlist and we'll reach out when available in your area.

Using Ladder Health, parents like me can take a self-administered screener, schedule an evaluation with one of our providers to do a deep dive into their child’s development, and receive ongoing services and home-based exercises. Parents will never have to wait more than 2 weeks for an appointment and will have access to wraparound support and messaging with providers. Ladder Health is completely virtual, which means convenient appointment times, no commuting necessary, and the ability to work with your child at home where they are most comfortable. Worried your child can’t conduct a virtual appointment? Our providers are trained in interacting with young kids in the telehealth setting and can provide helpful coaching for you.

I am thrilled to launch Ladder in Massachusetts with plans to rapidly expand nationally to help children and their parents and caregivers everywhere thrive. Ready, set, grow!