A national award for a Delaware woman whose son served as a model to help disabled patients.
There would be no Practice Without Pressure if not for Deb Jastrebski's son Marc, who has Down Syndrome.
"It was getting to where it was taking four and five adults to hold him down to do anything," she said.
The organization in Newark offers practice sessions and treatment to people with disabilities who may be afraid to go to the doctor or dentist, or even to get a haircut. Deb learned from Marc.
"And I came up with a way of practicing the blood draw in little tiny steps so that he would be able to master each step," she said.
Jastrebski is the first person from Delaware to receive the 2011 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award.
"We are unique across the country. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, when they came in, said that they feel this is a worldwide need that we've identified here," she said.
Practice Without Pressure has helped more than 300 individuals and their families.
"We have two wonderful dental hygienists, we have wonderful phlebotomists, we have someone who works with us with haircuts," she said.
PWP is now 10 years old and is planning to expand its facility on Sunset Lake Road in Newark.
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