3 children in a family having fun together
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A note from our Founder

Who We Are

“The creation of Kelowna SMILE Therapy for Kids was inspired by the needs of my daughter Sayde who was born with Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy.  Having already worked in the field of pediatric physical therapy, I recognized the gaps in the services available to children with special needs.  I began looking beyond my own community, taking courses throughout Canada and the United States and taking Sayde to see specialists in Houston, New Jersey, Vancouver, and Toronto.  In 2019, I came across SMILE Therapy for Kids owned by JoAnne Weltman.  Sayde and I travelled to Toronto for a two-week intensive with JoAnne and her staff.  We were amazed by the knowledge and services they provided.  It quickly became my vision to bring comprehensive and accessible pediatric physical therapy services to the Okanagan community to better serve our children. We are excited to finally make that dream a reality. On our journey we have also had the opportunity to work with various other practitioners including massage therapists, ABM therapists, Equine Therapist, Coaches, and Conductive Education conductors.  I values what each therapy has to offer and I hope to be a safe place for families to gain information and integrate a variety of therapies.” 

Liza Burgess

A timeline

Our History

2008

The Journey Begins

 Liza starts working in pediatrics.

A red balloon with a friendly emoticon smile.

2015

New Offerings

Private therapy services are offered to children in their homes, in our clinic (home gym) and at community pools.

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2019

Liza visits SMILE

Liza travelled to Toronto to for Her daughter to participate in a 2 week block of Intensive Therapy at SMILE Therapy for Kids.  She was astounded by the comprehensive therapy, knowledge and guidance they received from JoAnne Weltman and her staff at SMILE.

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And beyond

Always Training

Liza has since pursued further training in DMI therapy, FES (muscle stimulation), vestibular training, Therabounce, serial casting, reflex integration, TMR tots and more to provide more informed and individualize therapy to the children she works with.

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2024

A new location!

The new clinic opens!

A glimpse into the Burgess family's life...

Liza’s daughter, Sayde, and the rest of her family were featured in a local documentary! Take a look at some of the ways their family has adapted to ensure opportunities for Sayde to be a part of their adventures! (Sayde comes in at 17:20)