March 29, 2024

Volunteers answer the call for wheelchair bound child

Volunteers answered the call from Kid Assist of Newton to help build a wheelchair ramp at the entrance of a wheelchair bound child’s home Saturday.

Starting first thing in the morning, several local volunteers built a ramp, including railings, for Camden Brown and his family to use in the coming months.

“Kid Assist didn’t have the ramps, this time we didn’t have one available, so I just shared a post and people responded,” said Melissa Hammer-Strand, president of Kid Assist.

Kid Assist is a nonprofit equipment loan program serving children, youth, and adults with disabilities in Jasper County.

Brown, who already had surgery on his right hip and foot and is currently in a cast, has an additional surgery planned for the middle of November on his left foot that will put him into a body cast until the beginning of January. He was born with a rare club foot condition as well as a dislocated hip that has caused him to spend most of his life in either a cast or with leg braces. This is the third time since we was born that he has been in a wheelchair.

Kid Assist, which was founded in 1997, is a free service for children and adults with disabilities in Jasper County. For children, it is especially beneficial because they often outgrow their equipment quickly. The equipment can often be very expensive and through Kid Assist, families can trade in used or outgrown items for ones that will better suit their needs.

Contact Staff Writer Jamee A. Pierson at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com.