New Technology for Wheelchair Users

A new device is coming to the market that could revolutionize mobility for some people in wheelchairs.  When we were at the Ability Expo last year Emma tested out a sit/stand power chair and she was so happy to move around in the standing position.  I'm excited about the possibilities this type of device could offer people with physical disabilities and hope this is only the first generation of this power device.

http://tekrmd.com/

Wheelchair Acceptance

Well, yesterday was an extremely emotional day for our family. Though some of us handled the news better than others. It wasn’t a total surprise when Natalie called me to let me know the news. Hailey’s PT recommended that Natalie contact children’s hospital about getting her a wheelchair. There has been talk about this in the past, so I don’t know why it hit me so hard, but it did. Like a ton of bricks. I was at work and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, I couldn’t get myself together and I felt awful when my waves of emotion took the place of getting my job done, but I couldn’t concentrate, I just wanted to go home and go to bed, put the covers over my head and wake up in the morning and discover it was all a bad dream. I felt compelled to drive over to Natalie (because I know she was feeling it even more than me) and hug her and let her know that everything was going to be o.k. Little did I know that she was already headed over to my house with Hailey. She said she was in the neighborhood, but I think that subliminally, she wanted to be with people who love Hailey. She knows that she can always count on us for support. We have all been through so much together as a family. I guess I kind of secretly hoped that Hailey would get to a point where she would be able to walk with assistance, and that one day the only thing that she would need would be help from a canine assistant. So to here from a professional that this is not the case, it just knocked the wind out of me. Now that I have digested and regurgitated the news, i’m o.k. with it. Why wouldn’t I be? As my husband says “Hailey is still the same beautiful girl today, as she was yesterday and will be the same beautiful girl tomorrow” I know this is true. So, as I usually do when I hear new developments about Hailey. I get on the internet and I talk to my blogger friends, the people who understand first hand about what is going on in our lives, because it is also going on in theirs.(special thanks to Cary from about the small stuff) I have to constantly remind myself to stay focused on the positive and not let these barriers swallow me up, and to remember that wheelchairs are just a good way of getting around if a person has trouble walking. I also know that there are others out there who do not have the mobility to use a wheelchair and I should be grateful that Hailey is a candidate for one. Just because Hailey will be using a wheelchair does not mean that we are giving up hope, that one day Hailey will walk. We will continue to challenge her to reach her own personal potential, whatever that may be.

There are just so many unanswered questions: I wonder if Hailey will use a manual wheelchair, or if she would be better suited with a power wheelchair? Will her motor limitations allow her to maneuver the controls like a joystick, or will she have the strength to push herself along. She will have to get used to it in school, at home, travelling etc. It will be quite different. I wonder about how the wheelchair will transport? If we need some kind of conversion van, or lift. I wonder if we will eventually need a wheelchair ramp? I wonder how Hailey will adapt to using this new mode of transportation? My sense and my hope is that she will adapt fairly well. Her strength, determination and perseverance will be tested once again. As I have said so many times before, I believe in Hailey, she has led the way for our family on this uncertain path this far and she will continue to lead us down this bumpy road, only this time she will be doing it on wheels!

BElieve in YOUrself!

"It is easier to build strong children
than to repair broken men."
~Frederick Douglas

I think one of the most, if not THE most, important lesson you'll ever teach a child is self-confidence. The activities, people, careers, entertainment, and almost everything we fill our life with is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Therefore, it is a gift to your child to teach them to feel PROUD of who they are! To be comfortable in their own skin! To be authentic!

To me, this picture from Cassie of Beyond Measure says it all. Her son, Caleb, ASKED his mom to take this picture. It screams of a young man who knows who he is and is proud of it! I wish everyone, with special needs or not, felt this happy to be who they are! (Thanks for letting me share, Cassie!)




I've compiled a board on Pinterest (kidz ~ building self esteem) with quotes & thoughts about building self esteem. Here are just a few, but check all of them out when you have a chance! (Images linked to sources.)





What do you do to build your child's self-esteem?

Loading Wheelchair Into Van

Having a child that is non-mobile puts a lot of stress on your back. To help ease the burden and awkward movement of loading and unloading my daughter's manual adaptive stroller into our minivan, I use a suitcase ramp.

We bought our ramp new, but I have seen some great deals on Craigslist and would check there first when we are in the market for another one.



Here are a few other ramp options. Images linked to sources.

Yep! More!

Halloween is coming quick! Here are even more adorable wheelchair costume ideas! (Images linked).










If you missed our previous adaptive Halloween costume ideas, check them out here, here, and here.

Need even more Halloween/fall ideas? Check out this pinterest board! You'll be glad you did :)

Awareness

(Inside Text..."Hope Your Holidays Are Special"

Nobody likes to be talked down to or treated like they are invisible, but it happens everyday
to people who have disabilities or use wheelchairs to get around. It is not typically done on purpose, but is often because of the lack of knowledge or lack of interaction with someone who has a disability. More often than not when you first meet a person who has an obvious disability, maybe they are in a wheelchair, or maybe they are blind or have vision impairments. You become a bit uncomfortable, you are not sure what to say. Sometimes pity, fear of the unknown, general awkwardness and a lack of understanding makes you shy away from being cordial.
One of the ways to get past the social awkwardness is to know how to act or what to do in an unfamiliar situation, so educating yourself and others about disability is very important. I think it should be started at a very young age. I wholeheartedly believe in inclusion.
Inclusion is part of a much larger picture than just placement in the regular class within school. It is being included in life and by using one’s abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community. Inclusion is being a part of what everyone else is, being welcomed and embraced as a member who belongs. Inclusion can occur in schools, churches, playgrounds, work and in recreation. It is my hope to see people like my beautiful granddaughter who lives with Cerebral Palsy be more accepted and understood by society. I think I speak for most people who are touched by someone with a disability, when we see things in stores, such as Barbie in a wheelchair, or the occasional book that explains to children that being a little different is o.k. that they are people who are accepted by others and they are people just like you, who have feelings just like you, and they have a purpose in life, just like you do. That is why I decided to design a couple of Christmas cards that show children enjoying themselves at Christmas time, opening gifts and helping to decorate the Christmas tree. It is my way of raising awareness and acceptance. If I can get these cards out for Christmas, people will send them across the miles to their family and loved ones embracing and accepting disabilities and soon, we will be spreading awareness all around the world!

If you are interested in these cards, please contact harrold.janet@gmail.com
Orders are being taken through October, cards printed on November 1st and in your home by Thanksgiving.

Even More Adaptive Costume Ideas

One of our readers, Leanne, saw our previous adapted Halloween costume posts and reached out to share some more ideas with us! Her 11-year-old son, Nathaniel, has Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy and, "is a ray of sunshine in our lives."

We have always incorporated Nathaniel's wheelchair, wagon, or even electric scooter in his costume.






The most special costume to us is the tank. My husband Larry made that for him in 2008 before he was deployed to Iraq.




Thank you for sharing, Leanne!

If you missed our previous costume posts, be sure to check them out here and here. Or if you have any more ideas to share, please email us with pictures (kidzorg.blogspot@gmail.com). Halloween will be here before we know it!!!

Wheelchair/Stroller Accessories

Here are some wheelchair accessories that I either have or am getting. Prices are reasonable and images are linked!

Free Wheelchair Mission

This story about the free wheelchair mission most certainly made my day. I hope it makes yours too!

Engineer Don Schoendorfer took a trip to Morocco and saw a beggar who had lost the use of her legs drag herself across the road while everyone around ignored her. The image stuck with him.

Several years later he moved his family from Boston to Orange County “which is where you go when you want to make a lot of money,” he said.

He believed in God, but religion was not a part of his daily life. After struggling with his oldest daughter’s bulimia for 3 years, the family returned to their religious faith.

In 1997, Schoendorfer sat through a sermon at his church that forever changed him. The sermon was based on a biblical parable about a rich man who spends his life building bigger grain silos but dies before he can enjoy the wealth he has stored.

He began tinkering away in his garage with plastic lawn chairs and bicycle wheels. His wife, although supportive, soon tired of his creations cluttering the home. His peers thought he had gone off the deep end.



A year later, Don now runs the Free Wheelchair Mission, a faith-based nonprofit that has given away nearly 500,000 wheelchairs in 77 developing nations. The organization has grown from a volunteer effort to a nonprofit with a staff of 18 and a $6.5-million budget.



Schoendorfer says he has relaxed and learned to trust in God.

“I used to live by goals, I used to live by plans, and very elaborate goals and backup plans,” he said. “Now I feel like I’m more reacting and keeping an open mind and keeping a strong faith.”

To learn more about the Free Wheelchair Mission, visit their website at http://www.freewheelchairmission.org.