The Schneller Family

MJCCA preschool lovingly supports entire family’s wellness

It was a Friday night when Kim and CJ Schneller received their then 2-year-old son’s diagnosis. They were told Evan had type 1 (T1) diabetes, and his compulsory care would be “24-7-365, with constant diligence and monitoring of blood sugar levels” Kim reveals. This life-altering news created a ripple effect
of concern, and they wondered whether Evan could return to his beloved preschool community at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s Weinstein School, and if Kim could keep working.

Through the MJCCA I’ve become a better person, and my children have come to know tolerance and inclusion.

Kim Schneller

The next day, Kim emailed MJCCA Preschools Director Kim Sucan, to find out if Evan could stay in preschool. Sucan replied that there were systems in place to make it work, and the two planned a ‘T1-101’ training session for Monday evening. When Kim arrived, all three of Evan’s teachers were there. “I teared up instantly,” Kim recalls. “With almost no heads up they were there, bravely willing to learn how to care for my little one, whose pancreas quit working.”
The support they received that week from The Weinstein School was just the beginning. “Twice a year, Evan would change classrooms, which meant new teachers and additional training,” Kim explains. In the meantime, Sucan had the teachers and some of the administration attend formal training through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “To say they were accommodating is a drastic understatement,” Kim shares. “There were five, then seven, then 11 people in the building who knew how to care for Evan. It is very difficult for parents of a T1 to feel their child is safe, and yet we never had a doubt because of the support from The Weinstein School.”

“Evan was meticulously cared for every day for more than two years, and yet we were never made to feel like it was a problem,” Kim asserts. “The MJCCA and The Weinstein School have enriched our lives immensely and permanently. The entire preschool team demonstrated such grace, selflessness, and generosity that our opinion of humanity and its capacity for kindness is changed for the better. Through this experience I’ve become a better person, and my children have come to know tolerance and inclusion. We are not Jewish, but the Jewish faith and its traditions and values are now part of our lives, and for that we are extremely grateful.”

Impact

99% of parents feel MJCCA Preschools are warm, welcoming, safe, and secure.