Rhiley Fitch just turned five years old on May 10th. She is diagnosed with a condition called apraxia, which is a rare motor speech disorder.

Rhiley is determined to learn to speak. Right now, she can communicate using a special device. Rhiley’s mother, Nicole Miller, explains that people diagnosed with apraxia know what it is they want to communicate, but the physical act of speaking is extremely difficult.

It is common to stutter with the condition and to get stuck on your words. The act of planning each word doesn’t work as smoothly as it does in those without the condition. Knowing how to move your mouth in order to produce sound is a struggle.

Nicole knows that her daughter has a lifelong journey ahead of her. However, Rhiley is dedicated to her speech therapy, and the family hopes that it will produce fruitful results.

As Rhiley works on her speech, she and her mom are also working together to raise more awareness of this condition. The family lives in Norwalk, Connecticut and through their activism they have created Apraxia Appreciation Day. This new day was announced thanks to approval from the Mayor Harry Rilling.

This day will help to spread awareness of apraxia. The more people who know of the condition, the greater the possibilities are for increased research for the condition and improved care.

You can read more about this family and their story here.