Hailey Runcavage is bouncing around her living room, grabbing at toys and colorful, soft climbing blocks. Her mom, Lori Runcavage, says it’s taken some time for Hailey to reach this level of mobility.
“We like to roll and tumble, which is a good thing. When you finally find help and see her progressing, it’s amazing,” she says. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
Hailey goes to the Wilkes-Barre location of Allied Services Pediatric Rehab once a week. She has a genetic disorder that causes cerebellar ataxia, so her muscles don’t develop as quickly as they should. She has issues with balance, coordination and speech development.
Allied Services sees 1,200 children per year at its pediatric rehabilitation centers in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. On Tuesday, Allied Services announced a $2 million grant from AllOne Foundation and Charities that administrators say will be crucial to stabilizing their operation and continuing to provide local access to pediatric specialists.
“It’s about thinking about the next children that are born in this community,” said Jim Brogna, Allied’s senior vice president for strategic partnership development.
Brogna said without this grant, Allied may have had to consider scaling back on the pediatric rehab services and appointments they could offer.
“Most healthcare in this region and across the country is stopping services that are losing money,” Brogna said. “We want to move in the opposite direction.”
Allied treats chronic conditions and injuries at the rehab centers in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. John Cosgrove, CEO of AllOne Foundation and Charities, says pediatric specialists like those practicing at Allied have become more difficult for families to access.
“The very specialized services that they provide…are services that if they’re not provided here to the children of our region, those kids would have to go out of town,” Cosgrove said. “That just wasn’t acceptable to our leaders.”
As part of the grant, both centers have been renamed in honor of Luzerne County attorney John P. Moses, former board chairman of AllOne Foundation and Charities and a former board member of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
“Really, the common thread of his legacy is what he did for children,” Cosgrove said. “This is the perfect articulation of the impact he had on us all.”
Moses died in November of 2022. Brogna noted that Allied Services cared for Moses toward the end of his life.
Brogna says without this grant, Allied may have had to consider scaling back services at the pediatric rehab centers. AllOne will invest $1 million each year for the next two years, and Brogna said Allied plans to raise an additional $750,000 through its foundation.
“Both to sustain the operations and to transition for the future success of the pediatric program,” he said.
Runcavage hopes the grant means Hailey can continue receiving services at Allied. She credits much of the progress Hailey has made to the occupational therapy and other services she receives during her weekly appointments.
“She’s actually progressing,” she said. “Achieving her goals.”
Before starting regular therapy, Hailey wasn’t able to communicate beyond pointing, Runcavage said. Now, she gives “yes” or “no” answers and is working on more.
“She’s such a smart kid, intelligent and determined,” Runcavage said. “She picks anything up so fast.”
Brogna said Allied will also use the grant money to offer expanded services to more children like Hailey.
“It’s an opportunity … to do some adjustments in the programs, invest in new electronic medical records for scheduling efficiency and staff efficiency,” he said. “To bring on more kids that are in need and an opportunity to serve a myriad of disabilities.”
