Groups donate $1,500 for special tricycle for disabled twins
A special tricycle for Depew twins
Seven-year-old twins James and Jamie Hill of Depew were unable to say how happy they were to receive the specially made, fire-engine red tricycle that was given to them Wednesday.
But their gratitude was clear enough for onlookers during the presentation in Lancaster Elks Lodge 1478.
The brother and sister were both diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which severely limits their motor control, soon after birth.
The $1,500 tricycle, designed specifically for them, was a donation from the Lancaster Elks and five other local organizations: Depew Eagles, Citizen Party, Lancaster Lions Club, Lancaster Rotary and the Depew- Lancaster Sertoma Club.
“We had the little girl riding up and down in here, and you can tell that she enjoyed it,” said Sibby Constantino, of the Depew-Lancaster Sertoma Club.
“It thrilled her that she was doing something without anybody holding her,” he added.
His wife, Peggy, is the twins’ vision teacher and is part of a multidisciplinary team for the youngsters at Aspire of Western New York, formerly United Cerebral Palsy, on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
Peggy Constantino said the twins’ physical therapist, Cathleen Risco, recently discussed with the other members of their multidisciplinary team ways in which James and Jamie could achieve physical benefits from using the tricycle.
“I said [to Risco and the team] I might have a resource, and I said I would get back to them,” Peggy Constantino said.
The Depew-Lancaster Sertoma Club and the other organizations previously raised funds for and donated three other such tricycles and were persuaded to help the twins and their parents, James and Ann Marie Hill, whose medical benefits for the children would not have covered the cost of the tricycle.
“Everybody was saying: ‘Well, they’re twins. Don’t you need two bikes?’ said Peggy Constantino.
“But it was felt that because of the level of disability of the children, they would [have access] to only one person at a time to help them. So, to have two bikes would not be beneficial,” Peggy Constantino added.
She said the tricycle would be particularly beneficial for James, who has very low muscle tone.
“For him to build up his muscles, he doesn’t seem to have the stamina to walk a long distance, but he can pedal the bike and that will help build up his muscles,” Peggy Constantino said.
Instead of pedaling up and down, the construction of the tricycle allows the twins to pedal back and forth to achieve forward momentum. The tricycle also comes with helmets for each twin, as well as special body straps and straps on the pedals to keep the children’s feet in a stable position while they use the tricycle.
In addition to the physical benefits, the tricycle also allows each of the twins a bit of independence to play, like other children, the Constantinos noted.
“The bike is a little big, but we went on the side of big so that they’d have it for longer,” said Peggy Constantino.
“The last two people that got bikes from us, one is graduating and the other is going to be an 11th-grader next year, and they still use the bikes,” added Sibby Constantino.
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