Sweet, silly, playful, and resilient—Piper Mulloy is all that and more. Despite a tough start in life, this 2 ½ year old is one of the happiest, most positive little girls you’ll ever meet...and she is the true definition of a miracle.
Piper was born at just 25 weeks, weighing only 1 pound, 3 ounces. She spent five months in the NICU and was later diagnosed with a brain injury called Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL), which affects her musculoskeletal system and mobility. She is also visually impaired, though therapy continues to bring significant improvement. At around 18 months old, Piper was referred to MCRC, and she’s been making incredible strides ever since.
Piper receives physical, occupational, speech, feeding, and equine therapy at MCRC. Each area has brought amazing progress:
Through physical therapy, Piper can now sit independently, push up on hands and knees, and army crawl long distances.
Occupational therapy has improved her visual tracking, balance, coordination, and body awareness.
Feeding therapy helped her overcome swallowing difficulties, try new foods, and feed herself with greater independence.
Speech therapy has enhanced her understanding of daily activities, and she’s beginning to say words like “mama” and use sign language to express “more” and “all done.”
Equine therapy is the newest addition to her care, and it’s helping build her core strength and hip mobility to encourage future crawling and walking. It’s been amazing to watch her warm up to the horses and engage with confidence!
Piper loves bed time stories, swimming, dancing to music, drawing, and playing with her family. Thanks to the support of her therapists, she not only continues to grow physically, but she beams with confidence and joy. Her parents, Taylor & Matt, said, “MCRC has impacted every area of her development in the most positive way and given us the tools to continue supporting her progress at home.”
What makes MCRC especially meaningful to Piper’s family is the team’s ability to truly see her—her personality, her strengths, and her needs. The variety of therapies offered under one roof allows for seamless communication between therapists, creating a personalized, cohesive plan just for her.
Her Occupational Therapist, Jessica Neves, shared, “When Piper first began therapy, her vision was very limited and she hardly interacted during sessions. We introduced a specialized approach that helps the brain form new connections by combining movement, body awareness, visual tracking, and sound. Within just a few weeks, her mom began to notice changes—Piper started visually engaging more, and eventually began looking at faces. One special moment her family shared with me was when Piper looked at her grandmother and reached out to her for the first time. Today, she’s playing with toys, exploring her surroundings, and even army crawling! Her family's dedication to her success has made the biggest impact on how fast she's progressed because they have always been willing to do anything and everything that we recommended in our therapy sessions. I cannot wait to see how far she will have come in another year!”
We are extremely proud of Piper and honored to be a part of her incredible therapeutic journey!
Piper’s parents said, “MCRC has been such a blessing in our lives and a critical part of Piper’s progress and development. The people, the environment, the encouragement—everything contributes to the amazing advancement we’ve seen in Piper. We’re so grateful to be part of the MCRC family and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!”
