TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
(L-R) Temple Memorial Pediatric Center CEO, Sandy Varner; Marketing Director, Gina Parish; Behavioral Health Therapists: Jordan Allen, RBT; Melissa Reddin, RBT; Allison Rea, BCBA; and Christina Murray, RBT.
took him to Disney World on a family vacation this summer—all experiences that once felt completely out of reach. Temple Memorial has been genuinely life-changing, and we could not be more grateful for the profound impact it has had on Atlas and on our family!” India Thompson, whose son, Wylie, attends speech and occupational therapy at Temple, remembers the fear clearly. “By 18 months, my husband and I knew something wasn’t right,” she says. “I was anxious, scared, sad, angry, and confused. I was a new mom, and it felt devastating.” Thompson’s cousin, who is a speech therapist in Little Rock, referred her to Temple. In April 2023, just a month after Wylie turned two, they were able to start speech and occupational therapy. “I immediately felt a sense of peace after meeting Mrs. Laurie Dunlap, the speech therapist caring for Wylie,” Thompson said. “The environment felt right. We felt supported. We, as a family,
share in hopes that if there are other parents who may have a child who is experiencing sensory processing difficulties or developmental delays that they would know Temple is a place you can feel seen, heard, and supported. You are not alone. My sweet boy would not be where he is today if not for Temple. When Wylie masters a new skill or a new word or phrase, Mrs. Laurie is one of the first people I text. She is always there to celebrate his wins with us. What may be small victories for some are huge to others. She gets that and rejoices with us. Temple is a blessing to so many; to say their work is making a difference is an understatement. I am forever grateful for everyone from the administration, to the office staff, to the clinicians.” Temple Memorial is supported by endowments, perpetual trusts, United Way funding, and scholarships to ensure access is never denied because of finances. “We are here for everyone,” Varner says. “None of us are immune when it comes to children needing help.” Varner emphasizes, “I think of how
learned to adapt. We learned it’s okay for things not to always be how we think they are supposed to be. Wylie doesn’t have to attend every party. Wylie doesn’t have to speak verbally to everyone who speaks to him or wave back when someone waves. Wylie is perfect just the way God made him. God loves him even more than we do, and God has a plan for his life.” Wylie was diagnosed with autism in February 2025. Today, nearly three years into therapy, he is thriving. “He’s learned to self-regulate. He’s saying so many words I’ve lost count. He is joyful. He is learning to interact with his peers and learning that it is okay to try new things even if it is uncomfortable. I have not shared this journey with many people, but when I got this chance to share about Temple, I knew it was the time,” Thompson tearfully admits. “I
lucky we are to have a place like Temple Center in this community. It is what it is because of one thing: the staff that continually pour themselves into these kids every day. Sometimes it is heartbreaking, but at the end of the day, they love what they do. It takes a special type of person to treat this population, and it’s hard. Each child is unique and may not respond in the same way as another. It’s about finding what works for each one. I hope the community feels blessed knowing that Temple is here. There have been many God winks over the past 73 years. I am happy we were able to facilitate His plan and not get in the way of what was needed for these families and our community.”
Wylie working with his therapist, Laurie Dunlap at Temple Memorial.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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