St. Charles Kiwanis help child with mobility issues
The Aug. 2 meeting of the St. Charles Kiwanis Club was unusual for three reasons. First, the meeting was held at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center at 5:30 p.m., instead of Baker Memorial United Methodist Church at noon.
Second, representatives from six other clubs were present. Finally, the meeting was attended by one of the youngest participants in memory.
Quinn Farren, a bubbly 3-year-old, was on hand along with her parents Cindy and Sam to demonstrate her ability to navigate a specially designed toy car.
The car was provided through the Go Baby Go program, whose goal is assemble modified battery-powered cars - with volunteer labor - to help children with disabilities become independently mobile.
Quinn operates the car by pushing a button with her right knee, which is a therapeutic move for her.
Quinn has spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord fails to develop properly. Symptoms of the condition can include leg weakness, scoliosis and hip dislocation. Advances in treatment over the last few decades have increased the survival rate from less than 10 percent to well over 90 percent.
The St. Charles Kiwanis Club donated money for the assembly of the car, and club member Joe Cucci helped build the car in a team effort at Shriners Hospital in Chicago. The entire event underscored what Kiwanis is all about - serving the children of the world, one child at a time.
To learn more about the St. Charles Kiwanis Club, visit www.kiwanisofstcharles.org or follow the club at www.facebook.com/StCharlesKiwanis/.