Two Bronx families, one from Ecuador and one from Togo, have found life-changing support for their young children with speech and developmental delays, thanks to the persistence of NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central (NCB) Bronx community health workers (CHWs) Mariam Diakite and Desiree Martinez, hospital officials say.

 

According to NCB officials, 4-year-old Mateo arrived from Ecuador, unable to speak, relying only on gestures. They said Diakite and Martinez spent seven months navigating obstacles until he began receiving speech and occupational therapy twice a week.

 

“We worked to ensure the parents felt comfortable sharing their concerns in their own language,” said Diakite. Today, according to NCB officials, Mateo is happy, verbal, and thriving in preschool. They said his mother showed her appreciation, saying, “My child can now communicate and play with others. Without CHW support, this would not have been possible.”

 

They said, similarly, Koffi, a 5-year-old boy from Togo, could not hold a spoon or pencil and struggled to speak after his family entered the shelter system.

 

Over three years, NCB officials said Martinez and Diakite coordinated referrals, escorted the family to appointments, and overcame missed evaluations and language barriers. “Every obstacle meant finding another solution,” Martinez said.

They said a turning point happened when Diakite, fluent in French, began accompanying the family to visits that finally led to consistent speech therapy and special education support. They said Koffi now attends kindergarten and after-school programs while his family lives stably in The Bronx. They said both families have requested anonymity due to ongoing immigration issues.

 

According to NCB, CHW program support services include connecting patients and sending referrals to appropriate agencies, like Early Intervention (EI), the Committee for Pre-School on Special Education (CPSE), and the Committee on Special Education (CSE).

 

“Our community health workers play a vital role connecting families to developmental, behavioral, and social services,” said Dr. Elisa Karp, Attending Physician at NCB. “For immigrant families learning to navigate complex systems, their advocacy is transformative.”

 

Meanwhile, NCB CHW Supervisor Hilda Reyes added, “These stories show how CHWs empower families and prevent delays in care that can change a child’s life forever.”

 

According to NCB, in 2025 alone, the Pediatric CHW Program at NCB connected more than 460 at-risk children to critical services. They said this is proof that determination, partnership, and cultural understanding might turn isolation into opportunity.