In recognition of March National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (NDDAM), wheelchair manufacturer Convaid recently worked with United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (UCPLA) to donate a new, custom wheelchair to a 9-year-old girl.
Convaid, which has supported UCPLA efforts for many years,wanted to celebrate NDDAM with a donation of a custom fitted Convaid Cruiser to a child with developmental disabilities. So, Terri Lantz, UCPLA’s Client Rights Advocate and leader of the UCPLA Westside Parent Support Group, helped connect Convaid with Jan Bowers Thomas, a single mother with a 9-year-old daughter, Samantha, who has a developmental disability.
It turns out, the chair benefited both mother and daughter. Samantha’s current wheelchair did not fit in her mother’s ca, which made it difficult to take the girl to doctor’s appointments and other routine trips. No Jan can take her daughter to run errands and similar tasks.
Meanwhile, Convaid reports Samantha particularly enjoyed the fact her new chair is purple, her favorite color. Her thanks to the team and grin helped drive home the point, the company said.
“It is very special to us that we are able to help Samantha and her mother,” said President of Convaid Chris Braun. “This is a wonderful example of two organizations that can work together to bring a child more independence and help bring awareness to developmental disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy.”
“When Convaid approached UCPLA about coming together to celebrate National Developmental Disabilities Month, it provided an opportunity for our two organizations to align our missions for the benefit of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, who overcome incredible challenges every day,” said Dr. Ronald S. Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of UCPLA.