Kahlani Wolpert is hard at work.
“One step at a time, of course; I don’t want to rush,” Wolpert said with a smile on her face.
Perfection cannot be rushed.
“Trust the process, guys!” Wolpert said as she painted.
The third grader has zero idea who made that catchphrase famous, nor does she really like basketball. She’s more into painting.
“She does everything with her feet; she does great. She strives and she just never lets that hold her back from doing anything,” said Luz Santiago, Wolpert’s grandmother, whom she calls “mom.”
Not only is she an artist but also a musician. This summer, she took her first steps.
“Kahlani was born with skeletal dysplasia, which means she has an amelia of both upper extremities, which means that she doesn’t have both her arms and she doesn’t have full-length legs,” Santiago said.Kahlani Wolpert
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While she’s undergoing long-term treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Kahlani and Luz frequently stay across the street — at Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
“When I’m at home, and I’m coming here, I tell them I’m going home, and they’re like, ‘Mom, you’re home,’” Santiago said. “Like, my kids will tell me, ‘Mom, you are home.’ I’m like, you know what I mean, like my second home,” Santiago said.
It’s more than just a place to stay — it’s a home where Kahlani thrives.
“I’m home; it feels like I’m home,” Wolpert said.