Supporting the Akers Family
West Chester, OH
Cincinnati "Caring, Helping and Managing"
Akers CHM 2008 (Caring, Helping and Managing) is a community effort reflecting a Caring community Helping a local family to Manage the challenges associated with raising 3 children (two of which are confined to wheelchairs). The family has a variety of needs ranging from constantly changing medical equipment, a handicap accessible van for transporting three children (two with wheel chairs) to living in a home which is neither handicap accessible or handicap friendly. These issues, singularly or combined, make it nearly impossible for the Akers family to be able to interact as a "typical" family in spite of the physical limitations impacting the three (3) Akers children. The Akers family includes Ginger and Greg (parents), Christian (age 9) and Brooke (age 7) and Faith (age 3).
The sole purpose of this project is to improve the quality of life for this family, most specifically, for three siblings, two (2) with Type II SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) and one (1) with Crohns disease. The goal is to allow the two young children (with SMA) to:
- Be as self-sufficient as possible,
- Enjoy freedom to move about their home given their confinement to wheelchairs,
- Experience life without the constant reminders of their physical constraints,
- Actively participate as part of the family unit and
- Enjoy life as a family, together.
To understand the detail behind being able to achieve these goals, the specific barriers and the children's conditions must be understood. It is important to understand that the children (Brooke now and Faith in about 9 months) are/will be confined to a wheelchair due to a lack of upper and lower body strength. Brooke's condition is such that when she is out of her wheelchair and is placed somewhere she cannot move anywhere. She cannot crawl, roll over, or sit up from a laying position. She is completely immobile without her wheelchair. At the present, Faith can crawl and pull herself up, and is able to walk with her walker and leg braces several steps when at home.
Background
With the physical constraints of the existing home, Brooke and Faith's wheelchairs are parked in the lower level of the home. The girls then become dependent on others (generally Greg or Ginger) to be moved from room to room. At school the wheelchair provides Brooke freedom to move about and be as independent as her disease allows her to be.
This project is about giving these children and the family the opportunity to be a "family".
"I couldn't believe that one family could have to face that much tragedy", and "This is a family who truly needs help. It's the right thing to do," are the responses of community. Out of this has come an outpouring of support to provide help to this family. Ginger humbly summed up this community project, "I was shocked by all the donations," she said after a recent stay in the hospital with Faith, who has now also been diagnosed with asthma. "I could not believe the number of people who have come out to support our cause."
As only a seven year old can describe how important this home and family are to her...
I want a home so I can get around and do my own thing. I can't crawl, walk or bear any weight. It means so much I can't explain it. It means a lot to me.
-Brooke Akers
Ginger Akers expresses this tremendous community effort......
When we finally get these needs addressed, it's going to be a dream come true.
-Ginger Akers