  Variety Stories Josh Nafissa Abby Vanessa Ryan Matthew Mikayla Amare LaToya Jarek Emilio Candido Logan Molly Abigal & Emily Alyssa Adriana Sarah Zach Shane Mary Elizabeth Katlyn Nicholas
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| Variety Stories Josh Nafissa Abby Vanessa Ryan Matthew Mikayla Amare LaToya Jarek Emilio Candido Logan Molly Abigal & Emily Alyssa Adriana Sarah Zach Shane Mary Elizabeth Katlyn Nicholas
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Copyright © Variety - The Children's Charity, Variety of the United States. All Rights Reserved.
5-year-old
Joshua is one of three children in a Minnesota family. He uses a power
wheelchair to move himself around at school and is working hard to learn
to walk, presently walking while fully supported in a gait trainer.
He needed a piece of equipment for play and for gym class at school,
so his family requested Variety’s help purchasing a specially
adaptive bicycle. The bike would not only meet his recreational needs,
but also his need for exercise, increasing his leg strength and allowing
practice of reciprocal leg movements to improve gait. Variety approved
the request and Joshua now owns his very own bicycle specially customized
for his needs, allowing him to ride without help and maximize his potential
to walk independently.
3-year-old
Nafissa’s primary means of mobility was a wheelchair that had
to be pushed by a caregiver. At 43 inches long and 54 pounds, she was
becoming too heavy for her mother to constantly transfer her in and
out of the wheelchair. The equipment itself was also cumbersome because
of its weight and the process of disassembling, transporting and then
reassembling the wheelchair. In order to make everyday errands and outings
throughout their hometown in North Carolina more comfortable for Nafissa
and easier for her mother, Variety provided the funds to purchase the
family a special stroller. Her mother says, “It is so much lighter
and easier to transport than her wheelchair, and it has made it much
easier to take Nafissa out on short trips and errands.” Thanks
to her new stroller, Nafissa’s horizons have expanded as she goes
out to more places and is exposed to environments outside her home and
school more often. 
9-year-old
Abby is Variety’s first mobility recipient in Arizona. She is
part of a family of six, with one more on the way. She attends physical
therapy, and while she was there in the fall, she had the opportunity
to ride a specially adaptive bike. Her therapist saw that the bike improved
her leg strength and endurance and recommended the family purchase a
bike for Abby. Supporting a family of six can be a monumental task,
and paying for a child’s therapy often means families incur many
out of pocket expenses that insurance just will not cover. That’s
where Variety stepped in by funding a custom-outfitted bicycle for Abby.
The bicycle is an excellent addition to Abby’s home therapy regimen.
It will improve her strength, range of motion and endurance. It will
also enhance her sense of independence and improve her social interaction
as she joins her sisters on their bike rides around the neighborhood.
8-year-old
Arizona resident Vanessa requires maximum assistance from two people
when walking, but the new gait trainer purchased for her by Variety
allows her to walk with much better results. The gait trainer provides
necessary support and can serve as a means of mobility at home and at
school. It also provides positioning in standing for her; standing is
very important to prevent bone loss, respiratory infections, skin breakdown
and other complications. "This is a wonderful gift. Not only will
it help Vanessa's physical health, it will give her the opportunity
to be more active and involved. That's extremely important to an eight-year-old," says
Karen Curtis, Vanessa's pediatric physical therapist.
Ryan
came to the attention of Variety the Children's Charity of Pittsburgh
and its Kids on the Go! Mobility Program through a letter from his mother,
Debra. Ryan is blind, and this prevents him from participating in sports,
playing games or many of the things other children his age do. Besides
the social impact this has on him, it also keeps him from getting regular
exercise. With the help of Ryan’s younger brother, Jake, who “would
ride up front and ‘be Ryan's eyes,’” the adaptive bike allows Ryan to
not only get outside and feel the wind in his face, but also to improve
his quality of life by assisting him in getting regular exercise. What
made this effort most worthwile was the very first thank you note sent
to Variety's staff written in Braille.
Matthew
is a very outgoing and energetic 12-year-old from Ohio who loves adapted
recreation. He learned how to independently pedal and steer a specially-adapted
bike while at therapy to treat his spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy.
Despite the bike’s benefits to improve his joint range of motion,
strength, balance and coordination, the family was unable to get the
bike for their son because of the expenses incurred due to having a
child with disabilities. Variety stepped in to provide the bicycle for
Matthew just in time for the holidays. His mother writes, “How
can we begin to thank you enough for your kind gift to Matthew? He looks
forward to FINALLY being able to participate in the annual ‘Pedal
with Pete’ fundraiser for kids with cerebral palsy. He’s
never participated because he’s never had a bike…until
now! Thanks for making Matthew’s dreams come true!"
Mikayla
has the same sense of adventure as other 9-year-olds, enjoying walks,
trips to the park, hikes with her family, the beach, and many other
outdoor activities in her hometown of Seattle. But her rare chromosome
deletion means she has very low muscle tone and is easily fatigued,
making it difficult for her to participate in family activities. Her
mother began researching special needs strollers but found the cost
overwhelming for her family of seven, especially with her husband out
of work due to a severe injury. After being denied aid from her and
her husband’s insurance companies and two state agencies, Jodi
found out about Variety through her local Starlight Starbright office.
She applied for a stroller and was approved two weeks later. ‘The
look on Mikayla’s face when we pulled the stroller out of the
box was beyond description,’ her mother says. “There are
not enough words to describe her excitement. She was grinning from ear
to ear.”
2-year-old
Amare lives with his mother and 7-year-old brother in North Carolina.
Due to his cerebral palsy and other medical issues, Amare was unable
to walk independently before Variety provided a posture-control walker,
pelvic stabilizer and extensor assist pad for him. The equipment helps
him walk independently by improving alignment and symmetry and providing
additional hip extensor assistance. Amare’s mother expressed her
gratitude: “Thank you so much for the walker, stabilizer and pad.
Amare is making a lot of improvements.”
The
devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was immense for
the city’s residents, and even more so for families like 11-year-old
LaToya and her mother. LaToya, who was just 9 years old at the time,
suffers from cerebral palsy with significant stiffness throughout her
body. She and her mother were forced to relocate to nearby Baton Rouge
because of the hurricane. During therapy sessions, LaToya had the opportunity
to try a specially-adapted bike. She was extremely excited and became
more active and verbal while practicing pedaling the bike. Upon hearing
about LaToya and how riding a bike would help improve her range of movement,
increase lower limb strength and encourage general exercise and social
activity, Variety stepped in to fund a specially-adapted bike of her
very own. After just a couple of months, LaToya’s therapist already
sees the benefits of LaToya regularly riding her bike.
At
just 12 years old, Jarek has developed an outlook on life and a level
of wisdom that reach well beyond his pre-teen years. Jarek believes
in opening the door when opportunity knocks and he tries to extract
fun out of every experience. Most importantly, he does not allow cerebral
palsy to run his life. That attitude has garnered the happy, enthusiastic
Minnesota resident a very active life – he won a contest that
landed his artwork on the official 2006 greeting card for the Parent
Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights Center, he participates in
sports like water-skiing, wheelchair ice hockey, and basketball, and
he has met celebrities like Bo Derek and Michael Bolton. However, despite
all of his accomplishments, Jarek was unable to do something as simple
as reaching an object in a cupboard. Variety heard about this inspirational
boy and his need for a custom power-pack to elevate himself in his wheelchair,
and we stepped in to provide him with the equipment. Jarek is one step
closer to living as fully and independently as possible.
Variety
of Colorado launched its mobility program by presenting two well-deserving
boys with bikes to meet their special needs. 7-year-old Emilio
Herrera has Methylmalonic Acidemia (a metabolic disorder) and received
an adapted bike. His parents, Roberta and Albert, were overwhelmed
with emotion to see Emilio on a bike of his own. Following the
presentation at UA Meadows 12 Theatres in Lone Tree, CO, each of the
recipients and their families were treated to a movie courtesy of Regal
Entertainment. Variety of Colorado thanks the Anschutz Foundation
for its generous donation that funded the equipment for Emilio and Candido
(
Variety
of Colorado launched its mobility program by presenting two well-deserving
boys with bikes to meet their special needs. 11-year-old Candido
Estrada, who has Spina Bifida, received a handcycle. Once Candido
got the hang of his new bike, no one could slow him down. Following
the presentation at UA Meadows 12 Theatres in Lone Tree, CO, each of
the recipients and their families were treated to a movie courtesy of
Regal Entertainment. Variety of Colorado thanks the Anschutz Foundation
for its generous donation that funded the equipment for Emilio (
Logan,
who was born three months premature, has cerebral palsy. The 4-year-old
cannot communicate, nor can he walk, sit up, or crawl. At an age when
most children chase one another around the preschool yard, he can only
roll over. His mother, Kristy, struggled to take him places because
his wheelchair was too heavy for her to lift into their vehicle.
Variety
of Georgia officially launched its Mobility Program with the presentation
of a specially outfitted bike to a little girl named Molly. Here are
some comments from Molly's mother, Andrea: 
Winter
Springs Elementary School in Florida is the only public elementary school
endorsed by Seminole County for the instruction of physically and mentally
impaired children. The school’s administration was unable to get grants
or county funds to install a handicap door at the entrance of their
building, thus limiting the mobility of their physically impaired students,
like Abigail and Emily. These otherwise capable children could not run
errands for their teachers or move freely through the school like other
children because they could not maneuver their wheelchairs as needed
or pull open a forty-pound door on their own. 
9-year-old
Alyssa is the first Variety: Delaware Division child to be assisted
through Direct Care for Kids, a last resort medical program for families
in need that supplies necessary medical equipment to children whose
insurance companies cannot provide coverage. Alyssa has cerebral palsy
and her family had been seeking approval from insurance for an adapted
bicycle for two years to no avail. This bike will serve as a means of
physical therapy for her by allowing her to strengthen muscles. In addition,
it allows her to partake in a recreational activity with her friends
and siblings. This is Alyssa’s first bicycle!
At
two months of age, Adriana was diagnosed with a very rare disorder known
as Aicardi syndrome, which causes seizures, severe mental retardation
and blindness. When Adriana became too heavy to carry, her mother, Columba,
requested Variety’s help to purchase a specially equipped stroller so
that they can take their little girl on walks and family outings. 
Sarah
Gaudioso is a 14-year-old child with Cerebral Palsy. Sarah’s Cerebral
Palsy affects nearly all of her extremities and prevents her from walking,
according to her doctors. Sarah was placed in a power wheelchair where
it was assumed she would stay for the rest of her life. Tammy Stainaker,
Sarah’s mother, recently shared a testimonial from Sarah’s experience
at Variety Camp:
A
favorite summer activity for kids of all ages is riding their bicycles.
For a child with special needs, that is no small feat. Zachary, age
nine, from Irwin, PA was born with low thoracic spina bifida, a neurotube
defect that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. Zach is able
to walk with the aid of braces and crutches, but biking with his neighborhood
friends was difficult and frustrating until his physical therapist from
Children's Institute in Pittsburgh made contact with Variety.
Shane
is a 13 year-old boy diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and
asthma. For mobility, Shane relies on a wheelchair, bilateral braces
or walker. He is further challenged by moderate deficits in his hearing,
vision, and language processing. Like most teenage boys, Shane is interested
in sports, but faces limitations on entering and leaving his house.
With your help, Variety The Children's Charity was able to assist
his family with the construction of a wheelchair-accessible ramp to
help Shane get into and out of the house.
Mary
Elizabeth is a 5 year-old sweet little girl who was born with spina
bifida with hydrocephalus. As a result of her congenital disability,
Mary Elizabeth requires a wheelchair and full leg bracing and crutches
for mobility. To help with her walking and mobility needs, Variety,
through your generosity, constructed a wheelchair ramp for Mary Elizabeth.
When
Katlyn was only 1-1/2 years old, she was diagnosed with mitochondrial
disease, wherein her cells lack the ability to produce energy. Because
of this rare and progressive disease, Katlyn is completely dependent
upon her wheelchair for all of her ambulatory skills. But like all teenagers,
she wants to go places and be with her friends. With Katlyn's growth
spurts, it has become increasingly difficult and dangerous for her mother
and caregivers to lift Katlyn into and out of the family van. That's
when her mother came to Variety for help. Through your generosity, Variety
was able to install a new hydraulic lift with restraint system for the
family van at a cost of $5,000 dollars. Now Katlyn can more easily and
safely go everywhere. She meets her friends at the movies, goes grocery
shopping with Mom, and takes frequent outings to area parks.
At
birth, Nicholas was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
Now 7 years old, Nicholas, like any other little boy, wants to ride
bikes with his neighborhood buddies. But because of his diagnosis, Nicholas
has weakened trunk strength and gross motor skills, making it difficult
for him to propel a regular tricycle. Because of your generosity, Variety
was able to provide him with an adaptive Rifton Ranger tricycle. This
tricycle provides Nicholas with lower extremity strengthening, and facilitates
his age-appropriate gross motor skills.