Leaps of Faith

Like any muscle, faith is strengthened with exercise – and Kayla Taylor, owner of Tater Tots Pediatric Therapy, has gotten plenty of reps in her career

Kayla Taylor refused to spend her workdays trapped in a cubicle, plunked down in front of a computer screen.

Ever since starting sports in seventh grade, she wanted a career that would keep her on her feet and working with a team. More specifically, Taylor hoped to be a sports physical therapist: the perfect way to keep herself athletic by helping other athletes up their game.

From Athlete to Advocate

While pursuing her bachelor’s degree in human physiology, Taylor discovered a passion for helping children after spending several observation hours at Therapy Solutions for Kids in Eugene, where she fell in love with the work. “Kids are so uninhibited in their free spirit and the things they say,” Taylor laughs. “They just are who they are, and I love that.”

For Taylor, a key mentor at the time was Stephanie Wagers, now owner of several Connect the Dots Pediatric Therapy locations in Oregon. “She was energetic with a big and welcoming smile,” Taylor says. “She’s really amazing, and she made me want to look more into pediatrics.”

A Risk Worth Taking

After finishing her first degree in 2011, Taylor’s passion for pediatrics led her to George Fox University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. For her, coming to Newberg felt like coming home.

What set George Fox apart was its sense of connectedness and community, as Taylor truly got to know her classmates and professors.

“It’s similar to the environment I grew up in,” Taylor says. “Everyone supported everyone. I felt known while I was there.”

Professor Ryan Jacobson also played a large role in motivating George Fox’s first DPT cohort to pursue pediatrics specifically. Taylor was already interested in pediatrics, but a couple of her classmates came to see the promise in pediatric physical therapy. “People were like, ‘Wow, this is really fun and cool, and it makes you challenge your brain!’”

The DPT program was unaccredited at the time, meaning Taylor’s cohort risked not being able to obtain certification. “It was brand new, and it was risky,” Taylor recalls. Nevertheless, students stepped out in faith – especially after hearing from Tyler Cuddeford, who established the program at George Fox.

“He sat our cohort down and talked through what the accreditation process looked like, and how there were ways to move forward,” Taylor says. “Even if there was something George Fox needed to update, it wouldn't mean that everything was over and done, so that felt reassuring.”

And even when doubts did arise, Taylor kept faith. “I just believed,” she says. “I believed in our cohort and the faculty and staff.”

Taylor worked part time to help in the process, and the students and faculty banded together to get the program approved in time for graduation. “Everything worked out just fine,” she says. “I sat for my board exam in July of 2015.

"There was always this uncertainty, but I was confident and comfortable in that uncertainty because I trusted the process and the people around me.”

Ultimately, the trust Taylor built at George Fox prepared her for her next leap of faith.

Coming Home to Klamath Falls

Wanting to raise her own children close to family, Taylor moved back to her hometown of Klamath Falls, Oregon. After helping various practices start new physical therapy programs, she and her husband, Kylan, decided to start Tater Tots, their nonprofit, pediatric-focused physical therapy practice.

Taylor says her experience at George Fox taught her to trust that Tater Tots would succeed, even when doubts crept in. “I think there’s a direct correlation between that and deciding to open Tater Tots on our own – something that we hadn’t done before, something that was a little bit risky,” Taylor says. “But I trusted our group, and that it was morally good.”

The Klamath Falls community supported Taylor in her leap of faith. Tater Tots opened in 2021 with help from community donations and support, and it’s still thriving today with local events and expanding services. What connects Taylor with her community is their shared mission: to help children learn and love movement.

At the start of a session, Taylor steps back and observes what activities a child gravitates toward. The clinic is furnished with a little play kitchen, a swing, bouncy balls and inviting gadgets that encourage comfortability. “I try to mold whatever my intended goal for the session is to fit what they’re interested in, so they’ll stick with it and keep trying,” Taylor says. “We’ll build that repetition while they’re motivated and engaged, because that’s really how our bodies learn best.”

Joy in the Breakthroughs

When asked what makes her smile, several stories come to Taylor’s mind: helping a 12-year-old boy learn how to skip; “graduating” bike riders at their bike retreat; helping a girl with muscle atrophy learn to walk again. “It's a lot of smiles and hard work and joy and success,” Taylor says.

Even the tiniest of breakthroughs – like when her 12-year-old client skipped for the first time – make her work worthwhile. “When he finally got the sequence down, he turned to me, this look of awe on his face like, ‘I’m doing it!’ It’s amazing,” Taylor says. “It’s one of those things where each little milestone feels really meaningful.”

But even more precious are families’ reactions as they watch their children master movements for the first time. “There have been tears, big smiles, hugs, laughter, parents wanting to take videos, and just pride and excitement for their kid,” Taylor says. “It's amazing to see their love as they look at their kid achieving something that was hard, and that they've worked together to improve.”

Taylor emphasizes that helping these kids is far from a solo mission – it’s a team effort. Much of Taylor’s behind-the-scenes work involves researching how families can better support their children outside the clinic.

“There's a lot of problem-solving to figure out how a family can adapt their home into a more accommodating space,” Taylor says. “We’re the most involved medical professionals that they’re connected with, but it's a lifetime of care for these families.”

Prayer in the Process

Taylor is hardly intimidated by new challenges that come her way. “There’s always something that we haven’t navigated yet,” Taylor says. “But that was exactly what my experience at George Fox was: Each semester, each term, was a brand new thing for all of us.”

Tater Tots is taking steps forward through every new challenge. But as the business expands, Taylor’s hope keeps her grounded. “I’ve returned to prayer and connection with God to help navigate all the internal strain of being a PT, parent, wife, friend, etc.,” Taylor says. “Right now prayer is part of my process. Things can get heavy, and I've just been reminded how we really aren't expected to carry it alone.”

Teaching the Next Generation

After enough “reps” of faith, Taylor now gravitates toward trying new things and innovating. “If I want to try something, I'm not afraid to try and make it happen, even if that means I have to be the first to do it, or do it differently,” she says. “If it’s the first time I’m trying something, I have the mindset that I can do it. Even if it’s not perfect, I’m proud that I at least said ‘yes’ to an opportunity instead of ‘no.’”

Taylor is quick to point out that her mission at Tater Tots mirrors the heart of George Fox’s DPT program today.

“The program’s still innovative, creative, community-focused and service-minded,” she says with a smile. “That’s really all we’re doing here at Tater Tots.”

Unable to resist an opportunity to help, Taylor is currently teaching the first cohort at Oregon Tech’s new physical therapy program – students who are in the same situation she was in while at George Fox. “I don’t know exactly how to do everything,” she says, “but I want to help. The more programs like this we have in Oregon, the better.”