|
|
|
|
|
Contents:
Simple Dream, Special Effort by Richard Weiner San Jose State football player Neil Parry suffered a compound fracture of his right leg in a game October 14, 2000. That night his entire family watched in horror when a teammate rolled over Parry's leg during a third quarter kickoff against visiting Texas El Paso. The injury was so gruesome that his brother, first on the scene, ran away screaming. His dad, Nick, a Navy nurse since 1972, instinctively hopped the sideline wall rushing to the scene. His mother, Linda, a respiratory therapist for 27 years, froze in her seat thinking her son had been paralyzed because he lay so still. After two surgeries to repair the fracture, an infection took over Parry's body, driving his body temperature to 104 degrees and forcing amputation below the knee. The turning point for Parry came a few days after the amputation when letters of support poured in from across the country. "If I can walk again, I should be able to run again, right?" Parry asked his father, who agreed. "If I can run, I should be able to play football again, too." After a long pause his father said, "Yes, but get ready for a lot of hard work and a lot of ups and downs." First came the pain. It was so bad that Parry became addicted to morphine and then to another drug given to addicts to ease their withdrawals. Next came the fear. Waiting for the swelling to go down to be fitted with a prosthesis, he wondered if he'd every have a normal life with friends, sports and even a girlfriend. But just months after doctors had feared for his life, Parry willed himself back to the Spartans. The initial trauma weakened Parry by 50 pounds. But the six foot, 176 pound Parry became so strong, today he can outrun some of his teammates, thanks in part to space-age technology used on prosthetic devices. He'd start practice on the field during warm-ups, push his body in the weight room and then return to the field for sprint work. "You don't believe it until you see it," says conditioning coach, Kim Sword. "It's amazing." Living out the dream ... someday. Parry sports a new Spartan tattoo on his arm, plays basketball, golfs, skis, wake-boards, even races go-carts. He's a regular speaker at local schools and visits new amputee patients. He even has a new girlfriend. The only thing missing for Parry is to be back on the football field. He focuses on his goal visualizing the scene every workout. He's even had repeated dreams about it. "When I step out on the field, I can just picture my dad, mom, brother and sister sitting in the stands being so proud of me because I stuck with it. And I didn't let something like this change my life." Parry's eyes sparkle when asked what happens next. His response, "I make the tackle." What's Wrong with Timmy? by Maria Shriver What's Wrong with Timmy? is a children's book that teaches an important lesson - accepting differences in people. It begins, "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Katie who was very curious." One day Katie is at the playground and notices a boy with freckles and brown hair just like hers. But somehow he seems different. When he bounces his ball, he just doesn't do it as well as other kids she knows. Katie learns that the boy's mom and her mom know each other and that the boy is her age and his name is Timmy. Katie asks her mom, "What's wrong with Timmy?" Katie's mom explains that Timmy is a child with special needs and it takes him longer to learn new things. He can't walk or run as well as she can and he talks slowly. But he loves his family and his family loves him. He goes to school, wants friends, has dreams and is more like Katie than different. Although initially hesitant, Katie invites Timmy to play basketball with her friends. Katie tells her mom, "I think Timmy and I are going to be friends for a long time. I can just feel it. And you know what else? If anyone ever asks me, "What's wrong with Timmy" ... I'm going to smile and say, "Why nothing ... nothing at all! What's Wrong with Timmy? can be purchased from the Exceptional Parent Library for $14.95 by calling (800) 535-1910. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Special Olympics. Work & Family: How Parents of Children with Disabilities Cope Everyday Sue Shellenbarger is a writer for the Wall Street Journal and her March 20, 2002 column, Work & Family, described strategies implemented by parents of children with disabilities for everyday coping. "Like an occasional skier watching a high country rescue team at work, I realize these parents practice every day the kind of strategies most of us would implement only in a crisis." Many parents call a halt to relocating for any job. More important is maintaining hard-won therapy, child-care and physician relationships. Parents focus on building a support network. Many live close to grandparents, cousins, etc. relying on others for support. Rules for a healthy network are: Don't abuse it and always reciprocate. Many parents are self-employed and schedule work around home needs. It may mean a substantially reduced income but according to Mr. Berthiaume, an accountant , "We make enough to get by and we're able to be there for our daughter who has spina bifida." Some parents have even started businesses to solve a problem. After her daughter was born with a metabolic disorder, Annette Hines, a former tax lawyer, struggled to find reliable nurses to help with intensive care at home, including a feeding tube. She believed that uncompetitive pay and benefits were part of the problem. Ms. Hines founded a nonprofit nursing agency, Special Families - Special Care. The agency pays above-average wages and benefits to draw nursing talent into home care. Ms. Hines has won a community service award for this project. It is not always easy to meld client and family needs. In a business world where the client is king, parents often lose clients and job opportunities. Renee Gordon an attorney in Baltimore volunteered for a layoff when her son was diagnosed with autism. Four years later, she tried to reenter the workforce and met suspicion on every front. "Despite the nodding heads and reassuring looks, every potential employer was questioning whether I was serious, would be able to work without interruption and could make a commitment to my job." Nineteen months into her search, she found a satisfying position with the Small Business Administration and commends the open mindedness of the federal government, commenting, "I wish more of corporate America would appreciate the contributions that can be made by parents of children with disabilities." In addition, day to day nuances of a child's development can be lost in busy lives but disabilities make it particularly important that they be tracked. Many parents keep a daily journal, chronicling responses to changes in diet, medications and therapy. Record keeping is time consuming and laborious. Recently, when asked by a new staff member why I've stayed at Lekotek I replied, "I find the parents we work with to be inspirational." The Harland Foundation Funds Cobb Satellite Start-Up Lekotek gratefully acknowledges the generous and continued support of The John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Charitable Foundation. This year's funding is allocated to start up costs for the Cobb satellite. This grant, along with previous past support from the Harland Foundation, makes it possible for Lekotek to reach additional children and families. The new site in Kennesaw is located at the intersection of I-75 and I-575 at Barrett Parkway. It is easily accessible to families living in Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd and surrounding counties. Lekotek is delighted to welcome back, Kelly Lewis, as Lekotek leader. Kelly was on staff at our Duluth site from 1992 - 1996. Kelly has a degree in special education and has worked for Bartow county schools and Georgia's Babies Can't Wait early intervention program. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position. Kelly's husband, Barry, is a firefighter and they have three children, Kevin, Jesse and Ethan. Today, approximately 400 children receive services annually at the main location in Atlanta and satellite locations in Alpharetta, Athens, Duluth and Kennesaw. With continued support from the community, long range plans project a site south of the city. Friendship, Play and Inclusion: All Made Possible with Computers Adapted computer devices and select software equal the playing field for children with disabilities. While on the Internet, children with special needs are not seen disability first. In fact the reader never needs to know that the sender has cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy or a disability at all. According to Carol Bland, technology consultant with Dunamis, "they're just another kid in cyberspace." Research and educators substantiate that technology is a powerful tool for facilitating inclusion. Teachers use assistive technology to adapt activities, individualize assignments, and facilitate interaction among children with differing abilities. Likewise, computer play can do the same. The 2001 July/August issue of The Council for Exceptional Children presented the results of research conducted by Tim Hobbs, Lori Bruch, John Sanko and Cheryl Astolfi. They observed children with and without disabilities using the computer as an educational and recreational tool. Their data concluded that technology helps children with disabilities:
With eighty-six golfers, the third annual Lekotek Golf classic raised approximately $17,000. Lekotek acknowledges the generous support of presenting sponsor, Proudfoot Consulting, and all sponsors, golfers and volunteers. Don't sell that old car, truck or boat! Donate it to Lekotek by contacting Charity Auto Donations at (770) 944-2011. Hassle free, they'll pick up the car and auction it with proceeds going to Lekotek. Family Fun Day at Saturday, June 8th, The Barn in Alpharetta Alumni Computer Club Sunday, June 9th Weekend Camping Trip June 14th - 16th Summer Computer Camp July 15 - 25 Family Pot Luck Dinner Sunday, June 23rd Sibling Day Saturday, June 29th Art/Music Fun Day Tuesday, August 6th Disabilities and National Parks Golden Access Passport is a lifetime pass granting free admission to all national parks. It's free and available at the Bureau of Land Management offices and at national park entrances. For questions or details on access, go to www.emerginghorizons.com or contact Candy Harrington at horizons@candy-charles.com.
|
|
|
Home
| Services | Products |
Resources | Calendar | Publications |
Volunteer | How
Can I Help? | Search
| En Espaņol Lekotek of
Georgia, Inc.
|
