Meet the
Milestones Team
We believe that your child functions best in their natural environment, surrounded and cheered on by their beloved support team.
We know how exhausting and time-consuming it is to get ready for therapy appointments, wait in the waiting room, be asked to not bring any additional family members to the office. That is why we’re on a mission to change the way pediatric rehabilitation is provided. An expert therapist will come to your home at a time that is convenient for your child’s and family’s schedule. We encourage family participation in your child’s care.
Each visit with your therapist includes:
parent education
an in-depth video home exercise program
resources based on your child’s and family’s needs.
Each visit is one-on-one, with attention to every detail and an individually crafted therapy plan. We take pride in focusing on your child’s unique needs.
Growing up shouldn’t have to be scary.
Pediatric physical and occupational therapies help children master gross and fine motor skills, improve balance, coordination, flexibility, and participation in daily childhood mobility skills.
Pediatric physical therapists help your little one master gross motor skills and catch up to milestones, work on symmetrical movement patterns, work with conditions such as flat head spots and Torticollis, developmental delays, helping infants born premature to catch up to peers.
Pediatric occupational therapists work to improve your child’s independence with daily tasks such as eating, dressing, brushing teeth; emotional regulation, picky eating, fine motor skills and hand writing, sensory processing and problem solving.
A skilled pediatric therapist will ALWAYS make therapy look like PLAY.
Not all Pediatric PTs are created equal. If your child was referred to outpatient PT/OT or you are interested in seeking these services, here are some things to consider prior to scheduling your appointment:
Does this therapist have vast pediatric experience?
Does this therapist/clinic allow family participation in the treatment sessions?
Does this therapist have special training or certifications related to your child’s unique condition?
Does this therapist understand your unique home and family situation?
Will you work one-on-one with the same therapist to allow your child to build a trusting bond with them?
Does this therapist provide a thorough treatment plan and a home exercise program?
At Milestones Pediatric Physical Therapy, we strive to provide the highest quality of wholesome care for your child and can proudly answer YES to all the listed considerations!
Meet the Founder
Dr. Vera Malushi, PT, DPT, PCS
Dr. Vera is a pediatric physical therapist with a national board certification in pediatrics and many years of experience in various PT settings. She started Milestones Pediatric Physical Therapy during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, when many of local rehabilitation clinics stopped providing services. She understood that lack of expert rehabilitation care for the vulnerable pediatric population could cause detriment to their development. Starting and growing a successful practice throughout the pandemic allowed her to deliver skilled PT services throughout Metro Detroit while keeping her precious little patients safe!
Dr. Vera earned her Bachelor Degree in Health Sciences from Oakland University, Rochester Michigan and continued at OU to graduate from the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. She is experienced in working with children with various neuromuscular, orthopedic, and genetic conditions. She provides in-home evaluation and hands-on expert treatment for children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers.
Dr. Vera is passionate about her profession and her mission of providing personalized therapy within the child’s home, focusing on goals that are most meaningful to the child and family. Herself and her amazing team of experienced clinicians are here to support your child through all stages of development, striving to meet every milestone!
Meet The Staff:
Dr. Luiza LeMerise, PT, DPT, OMPT
Dr. Luiza graduated from Oakland University with her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy in 2014 and completed her post-doctorate residency and fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in 2017. She has experience in the pediatric and neuro settings for over 7 years, working hands-on with patients of all levels of complexity.
Previously working as a Quality Director for a large therapy clinic, she has worked with the physical, occupational, and speech therapy departments to provide the best quality care for patients from a few weeks old to their 90's. She is excited to provide the same level of high-quality care within the patients’ homes.
Dr. Luiza believes true physical therapy is performed one-on-one and through a relationship of trust and shared goals between patient and therapist. Her passion for the field, extensive knowledge and experience, and caring nature make her an amazing asset to your child’s support team.
Dr. Chelsea Kunert PT, DPT
From the start of her schooling, Chelsea had a passion for pediatrics. She spent the majority of her volunteer work prior to PT school in the pediatric setting and went to school with the goal to help children! She completed a 3-month pediatric internship during PT school and graduated in 2018. Since then, she has worked in outpatient pediatric and neurological-based settings working with kids of all levels of complexity.
Dr. Chelsea has a strong passion for treating the child as a whole. This led her to start the journey to become fully trained in Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI). Dr. Chelsea is currently one of the very few therapist in Michigan who is Introductory Level C certified! This innovative therapy technique focuses on postural alignment and neuroplasticity.
Dr. Chelsea’s favorite aspect of working with the pediatric population is helping children grow and achieve new milestones! She loves getting to know the families and providing direct one on one care for each child. She easily specializes each treatment plan to the unique needs of each patient and their family. She loves empowering parents by educating them on diagnosis, treatment, and home exercise programs.
Dr. Haley Marentette, PT, DPT
Dr. Haley received her bachelor’s degree in Health Science from Oakland University in 2018 and continued on to receive her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Oakland University in 2021. She completed a 12-week internship at an outpatient pediatric clinic where her love for helping children continued to grow. Since then, she has worked in a pediatric outpatient clinic where she treated children with a variety of orthopedic, neurological, and genetic diagnoses.
Dr. Haley is Level B Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) certified with plans to continue through the full DMI certification process. DMI is a unique treatment technique that integrates the three balance systems of the body. She loves getting to utilize this tool in order to determine physiologically where deficits may lie.
Dr. Haley enjoys working with children and helping them to achieve independent functional mobility. She enjoys making meaningful relationships with the children and their families while providing direct one-on-one care for each child. She enjoys creating treatment plans that fit the unique needs of the child, as well as, tailoring the plan to what the child enjoys – even if that means she gets a little goofy at times!