A Special Family Gets Some Special Help
By Christine Myers
Children are gifts from God.
Sometimes, they are unexpected gifts and sometimes they are gifts that are sought. The arrival of the first baby brings many blessings to a home.
But a child also brings something more, a new role, the role of parent. When a person becomes a parent, they find themselves acting as a provider, a protector, a teacher . . . a world of responsibilities.
Studies show a person does not have to be part of a two-person team to be a parent. In fact, recent statistics show two-parent homes are no longer the overwhelming majority.
So parents come packaged in many different ways. One such package is a single parent.
Being a single mother hasn�t been easy for Lori Schieber . . . but it�s about to get easier.
Lori, 37, is the mother of three unique boys. Her first-born is Kyle, 15, next comes Travis, 13, and then there�s Drew, 11. Lori and the boys live in Plymouth, where Travis and Drew attend school. Kyle just recently transferred to Argos because the school offers a program "more up to speed" for Kyle�s special needs.
Born three months premature, Kyle weighed just a little over one pound. It was just the beginning of his challenge. He spent months in intensive care at South Bend�s Memorial Hos-pital connected to machines monitoring his vital signs. By the time he was five months old, Kyle weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces. He suffered from fevers in conjunction with ear infections. When he was 21/2, he was afflicted with the worst fever yet, 105.8 degrees.
It was during this fever that doctors suspect Kyle lost his sense of hearing.
To complicate matters even more, Kyle was born with athetoid cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Of all cases of cerebral palsy in children, about 10 percent have athetoid cerebral palsy.
Athetoid cerebral palsy is caused by damage to areas of the brain that control smooth, coordinated movements and body posture. This damage results in development of involuntary movements particularly in the face, arms and trunk. Such movements interfere with feeding, speaking, reaching or grasping, and any other move
ments requiring coordination.
A child with this developmental challenge usually has low muscle tone (or too much) and thus has trouble holding posture required for sitting and walking.
Even though the first few years were pretty rough, Kyle toughed it out. Kyle has done pretty well, until recently, with
his disability. Right now he is going through puberty and the chemical imbalances aren�t easy for him. They have caused seizures to varying degrees.
The 2003 flu season has taken its toll on Kyle as well.
Kyle�s susceptibility to illness and his physical challenge has made it difficult for Lori to work because he needs 24-hour
availability.
Through everything, though, the good still shines through. Kyle has met his favorite race car driver, Jeff Gordon, who was at Riley Children�s Hospital in Indianapolis when Kyle was staying there. A big NASCAR fan, Kyle was excited to get an autographed picture and model car patterned after Gordon�s ride. Kyle is also very intelligent and does well in school. "He has a perfect little mind trapped in his body," Lori explained. Another exciting development in Kyle�s life is moving into a new home especially designed to meet his needs.
After hearing about Habitat for Humanity of Marshall County�s Housing Assistance Program from board member Johnna Ramer, Lori filled out an application and qualified for the program.
Because of Habitat, Lori now has her own home in which to raise her children. "A whole community came together to build a home for a little boy," Lori said, "Johnna has walked with me all the way through the whole process and has been my strength through all of this."
Building began in August. The house is now ready to live in, complete with a lift system for Kyle that will help move him from his bed to the toilet and shower and a track system in the living room that will enable Kyle to be repositioned comfortably throughout the living room.
As part of the program, Lori has dedicated 250 "sweat equity" hours helping the volunteers build her home. "I will always remember the volunteers . . . from the ones who made sandwiches to the ones who pounded nails," admitted Lori.
Habitat is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Funding is provided through tax-deductible community donations of money and materials to build or renovate simple, decent homes for those in need of adequate housing.
The houses are sold at no profit with a no-interest mortgage paid over 20 years. The criteria for a homeowner:
�Family income is 25 to 50 percent of median income for Marshall County with adjustments for family size.
� Ability to repay with verifiable credit experience with a good credit history. Bankruptcy must be fully discharged for three years.
�Employment with at least six months on the job.
�Currently living in substandard housing as determined by HUD guidelines.
�Willingness to partner through sweat equity.
Lori gives much thanks to everyone involved in providing a place for Kyle. She rests secure in knowing that he will always have a place to call home.
It still amazes her that it was all made possible from the volunteer work strangers whom she now cherishes as friends.
"I thank God that He is here and for Habitat who made it possible for me to keep him home with me. It�s meant so much to me that the volunteers were selfless and spent time to make this all possible," she said.
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
