Jack Weber’s compassion for kids isn’t bound by borders

Jack and his wife, Maddie, enjoy a beautiful day in Florence, Italy.

Jack discovered his love for working with kids when he was in graduate school to become a speech language pathologist, also called a speech therapist. Now, he helps patients in both Akron and the Dominican Republic. His skills and dedication recently earned him a More childhood, please.™ Akron Children’s Caregiver Award.

The Akron Children’s Caregiver Award

An extended family member who also works in health care nominated Jack for the award. “I felt – and still feel – undeserving,” he said. “But I feel this award is a representation of my Rehab Services department and the Speech Therapy team.”

Jack attended the inaugural More childhood, please Award event held Oct. 1 in Akron. “The ceremony itself was breathtaking,” he shared. “It was beyond an honor to be surrounded by hospital staff and well-deserving people in our community who promote more childhood.”

Jack received the first Akron Children’s Caregiver award.

A heart for pediatric patients

Jack worked in both adult and children’s health care settings during graduate school, including a rotation at Akron Children’s in 2019. “I fell in love with working with kids,” he said. “It was amazing to watch them learn and grow through play-based therapy.”

Jack became a speech therapist at Akron Children’s in 2020. He mainly works with patients who are in the hospital because they are very sick or injured. However, he sometimes helps with outpatient therapy patients.

Jack’s language skills bring comfort to patients and families

Jack learned Spanish in middle and high school. He also studied American Sign Language (ASL) in middle school through college. “When my Spanish-speaking or ASL patients find out that I know these languages, their faces usually light up,” he said. “They often tell me they feel excited to express their thoughts in their native/first language and have me understand it.

“I have not yet taken the credentialling test through Akron Children’s to use my language skills without an interpreter,” he continued. “But my understanding of Spanish and ASL creates an easier-to-understand environment for my patients.”

Teamwork around the globe

As a senior in high school, Jack went to Costa Rica with his advanced placement (AP) Spanish class. In graduate school, he traveled to Zambia in Africa to teach speech therapy basics to community leaders because there was only one speech therapist in the whole country. “I fell in love with the Costa Rican culture during my time there,” he said. “My trip to Africa inspired my passion for global health, which I’m proud to continue through my work at Akron Children’s.”

Now, Jack works with a special global health team at Akron Children’s Hospital. The group includes doctors, therapists and other health experts. They help kids by working with therapists at two centers in the Dominican Republic. One is the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Care Center, which provides checkups, emergency care and lab tests for kids up to age 15. The other is the Puntacana Children’s Diversity Center, which helps kids with disabilities from birth to 17. It’s the only rehab center in that part of the country.

The Akron Children’s team talks with therapists in the Dominican Republic every week online – in Spanish – and visits once a year. “We spend a week doing training and community outreach,” Jack explained. “We also coach the therapists while they’re caring for patients at the clinic.”

Jack (far right) with former Akron Children’s colleague Miriam Thrasher (green shirt) and Puntacana staff members Cesar (psychologist) and Josari (training speech therapist).

Jack contributes to Early Mobilization program

Closer to home, Jack got involved with the Early Mobilization program at Akron Children’s Hospital while he was still in graduate school. Before, kids in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) had to wait for a doctor to order physical, occupational and speech therapy. Now, PICU patients get therapy ordered automatically that’s based on their baseline abilities and reason for being in the hospital.

“My supervisor at the time, speech therapist Christine Hurtubise, helped to develop the Early Mobilization program with Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and the PICU staff. She wanted to ensure a team approach and design for the program,” Jack said. “Since its rollout, I have seen the positive changes that have occurred to our patient care. Patients receive therapies quicker, which improves their health and helps them go home from the hospital faster.”

Jack and the Early Mobilization team presented this month at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine conference, promoting the outstanding care Akron Children’s provides.

Jack, Maddie and son Teddy at a Cleveland Guardians game.

Building bonds

Jack loves getting to know patients and their families. “Since I mostly work with kids in the hospital, I often meet them during a traumatic time in their lives,” he said. “I am honored to be with them throughout their recovery.”