Aliana is 5 years old and nothing keeps her down. 

Not spina bifida - or the abnormal spinal cord formation she was born with. 

Not triple surgery, after which she was up and walking two days later. 

Nothing. 

And nothing can quite keep the charming smile from returning to her eyes either, especially when she's making a art collage: folding, twisting, weaving, crumpling and rolling paper as if it were play dough. 

Aliana is an enormously talented and artistic child. Extremely resilient. And, yes, she has a disability. That's why she's with us at the Shield - in our school program in Flushing. In our classrooms as in our gym, Aliana works with special education teachers and clinicians who 'get' what she needs, and who tailor her learning so her experience of the world remains rich and vibrant. 

At the Shield, differences unite us. 

And here's the thing: Aliana loves to dance and takes every chance she can get to demonstrate new moves to her friends. How's that for resilient?