Equipment for Children
Spring 2015
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Adaptive Equipment for Disabled Children
We are thankful to the Wolpoff Family Foundation for supporting our mission, which is to connect adaptive equipment from children with disabilities who outgrow the equipment to other children who need it. Being able to connect children to costly adaptive equipment helps our families financially and provides a greater quality of life for the children we serve. One of our families is Irina and Samuel, who came to our March Donation Saturday and received a Kid Kart. Samuel is three years old, and has a disability that requires adaptive equipment to provide proper seating so that he is able to sit comfortably with the appropriate support as he continues to grow. Additionally, ECFC was able to give Irina and Samuel a stander which would prevent certain medical complications, such as additional hip problems that Samuel might face in the future otherwise. Irina also expressed that without these vital pieces of equipment, Samuel who suffers from daily disabling seizures, would continue to live in a scary world where he has no control of his body, head, or limbs and is totally dependent on others. The stander and other adaptive equipment give Samuel a feeling of "safety and peace", which in turn supports Samuel's ability to eat and play so that he may gain independence and a greater quality of life. By connecting these children with adaptive equipment that they may have otherwise not received, we are helping their families as well. Being able to attend our Donation Saturday and receiving important adaptive equipment made Samuel’s mother Irina feel "…welcomed, less alone, and a sense of community with other families facing similar challenges.” Additionally, she was taught how to use and adapt the equipment properly. This passing of knowledge and resources is a powerful movement for children with disabilities, in her eyes. |