Join Silas, one of our ambassadors, at Walk With Me!

Join Silas, one of our ambassadors, at Walk With Me!

Watch Silas’ Story!

Silas video

Silas was born with arthrogryposis, a condition in which some joints don’t move as they should and may be stuck in one position, restricting range of motion. Often muscles around these joints are thin, weak, stiff or missing. This disability substantially limits Silas’ ability to actively explore his world in the way that most toddlers are able to do. Silas rolls on the floor to move from one place to another and he cannot physically sit up on his own or bend his elbows.

DSC00553In February 2015, Silas and his mother, Jen, came to Southwest Human Development’s ADAPT Shop to test drive the ADAPT Shop’s motorized scooter. Using his custom-fabricated “Happy Chair” (made previously for him at the ADAPT Shop) as the seat, he is now able to “drive” the scooter and is able to explore his environment independently for the first time in his life.

Jen describes her son as having a “real knack” for understanding anything mechanical:

“Silas gets pretty intense with the technology portion,” she said. “(He observes what happens when you) push that button. He watches and absorbs it all so that when we give him that scooter or that new toy, he has a good understanding of what it’s going to do and how it’s going to benefit him. The scooter is helping him get ready for his motorized wheelchair,” Jen added. “Our experience here is definitely life-changing. This is an amazing place.”

Don’t miss Silas at this year’s Walk With Me! Find all of the event information and register online!



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