TWIN FALLS • Two-year-old Emily Kuyper was born with cerebral palsy, and is deaf and blind.
Taking care of Emily is a full-time job for her mother Darlene. Emily’s father Mike feeds cattle at a local dairy.
Affording Emily’s special needs is beyond the Buhl family’s ability. Without help, Emily’s future would be ... well, Darlene wouldn’t like to imagine what that would be.
The palsy affects Emily’s left side more than her right, Darlene said. She wears a brace on her left arm to keep it mobile and working. Otherwise, her muscles would stiffen and atrophy would set in.
If she didn’t wear the brace, Emily would need surgery to straighten her arm in the future, her mother said.
Emily is learning to walk. She wears braces on her feet to keep her toes pointed in the right direction. She also uses a special walker called a gait trainer that supports her body and enables her to stand. The gait trainer also ensures that her legs grow correctly, so she can eventually walk on her own.
Physical devices such as these can prevent much bigger problems in the future, said Trish Howard, physical therapist with Primary Therapy Source in Twin Falls.
Howard said she sees the difference every day that physical therapy equipment can make in a child’s life. Sadly, many children are not as lucky as Emily to have this equipment, she said.
There is an untapped source out there that Howard hopes to mine. Valuable devices — orthotics, braces, splints, walkers and wheelchairs — are stashed away in closets everywhere. During the month of October — Physical Therapy Month — Primary Therapy Source is gathering used devices to send to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Larger equipment, such as wheelchairs, will be sent to Mexico.
Adults benefit from donations too, especially stroke victims and those with range of motion issues, Howard said.
But the need is greatest in growing children, said Frank Power, store manager of Norco Medical in Twin Falls.
Children grow out of these devices as fast as they grow out of their clothes, Power said.
Norco is collecting used equipment from customers to donate to the cause.
Used equipment — even if it isn’t in working condition — can be dropped off at Norco, he said. His employees can tweak the devices into shape.
Primary Therapy Source is accepting donations at 254 River Vista Place in Twin Falls and at 1259 Overland Ave. in Burley.
“The donations make such a huge difference in the quality of life for the kids — and for their families,” Howard said.
