Meet Carroll Gardener Molly Peryer: Helping Foss 'Stand Tall'

Foss, center, with his mother Molly and his grandfather

Dear Readers,
Please let me introduce you to Molly Peryer, who has been living in Carroll Gardens for the last 8 years. Molly holds a Master of Social Work and helped establish a free, monthly Postpartum Depression Support group in the neighborhood in 2006. Besides offering emotional support, validation and hope to moms experiencing PPD, Molly and her husband Larry raise their own little family, which includes their two beautiful boys, seven-year old Henry and four-and-a-half year old Foss.

Like most mothers, Molly is involved in her kids' education and wants only the best for both Henry and Foss. Currently, Henry is in first grade at PS 58 and Molly would send Foss there "in a heartbeat" if he didn't have extensive special needs.
You see, Foss was born as a healthy baby, but just four days after his birth, he became listless and stopped nursing. Molly immediately took him to an emergency room, but just hours later, he was on life support in the neonatal intensive care unit. He eventually improved, but he apparently had suffered several bilateral strokes that damaged multiple areas of his brain. Molly told me when we met recently : "We don't know what caused them and we probably never will. As a result, he has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, global developmental delays and cortical vision impairment."

Life in New York City with a special-needs child is not always easy. As Molly explains: "Things tend to not be very handicap accessible, the police and other drivers are often intolerant when we must double-park to get Foss in and out of the car, and the unanticipated (and often unrecognized) financial strain of caring for a child with disabilities is especially burdensome when added to an already high cost of living."

Though Foss has endured several hospital stays in his young life, on a day-to day basis, he is stable, and like other children, he has been attending school. He is about to finish his second and last year at the Helen Keller Preschool on Willoughby Street. His mother says: "Foss has made some incredible strides and has shown us that he can do more." She adds: "As parents, it is our responsibility to provide our children with a learning environment where they can reach their fullest potential,"

For the past few months, Molly and her husband have been visiting local elementary schools that offer a focused, structured program that may be appropriate for Foss. The one that both feel is a perfect match is called Standing Tall. Unfortunately, the program is extremely expensive, and they cannot offer Foss this opportunity without our help. To that end, they have begun an online fundraiser.

Here is more from Molly and Larry:

Hello dear friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances.   We have created this fundraiser to raise money to send Foss to an amazing school in Manhattan called Standing Tall (ST).We believe that ST provides an ideal learning environment for Foss that is heads and shoulders above any of the other schools for children with multiple disabilities in the NYC area.   At ST, Foss would be accompanied to school every day by Vicki, his beloved and trusted teacher's assistant and babysitter.   The highly trained, dedicated staff at ST work intimately with families to develop an individualized plan to ensure that each student is challenged, understood, safe, and engaged in the learning process.   We need to pay the first year's tuition and seek reimbursement (through a legal process) from the Dept. of Ed.   Our fundraiser includes the tuition amount and the anticipated legal fees.    Once we secure that reimbursement, we would use it for the following year's tuition, get reimbursed again, and so on.    As such, our appeal to you happens only once.   Please help our family to become a part of the ST community. If you're interested in learning more about the school, please visit http://www.standingtall.org/services.html 

Thank you!!! Molly, Larry, Henry and Foss

It would mean so much to Molly and Larry to be able to give their son the best chance available. Perhaps, as a community, we can support this family and help a small boy, who has been through so much, stand tall? Please click here.
If you prefer, you can also help in other small ways. For the past 5 or 6 years, Larry has been putting together a cookbook of recipes the Peryer family has made over the course of the year that they give to friends and family at Christmas time. The cookbook, as well as a cd that brother Henry and Larry made (of Henry's piano songs) are available here.
In addition, there will be a fundraiser at 16 Handles on Court Street on Tuesday, May 29 from 3:00 until 5:00. 16% of the proceeds from sales during that period will go to FST.

Let's show this lovely little boy and his family what Carroll Gardens is all about.