GIVING KIDS CHANCES TO EXCEL

“At rock climbing, I made it to the top!”

“One of the cool things that we did was go camping. We learned how to put up a tent independently and then we built a campfire.”

“My best memory was when I went ice skating and met Sabreea. It was a rough but fun day. I had fallen and almost hurt myself but she was there for me. I found a new friend that day.”

These quotes, taken from the most recent SHARP Memory Book, exemplify the aims of the Sports, Habilitation, and Recreation Program: achieving goals, developing independence and making friends.

They are the types of comments that SHARP Coordinator, Cody Alvarez, hears all the time.

“The best thing about my job is seeing the kids each weekend,” she said. “And, of course, listening to what they say about their experiences. What really inspires me is seeing them learn a new skill or discovering something they enjoy like roller skating or rock climbing. I just get so excited because I know that they feel good about themselves.”

One of the students in the program who feels especially good about herself is 14-year-old Breanna Castillo who has participated in the SHARP Saturday and summer programs for the past eight years.

“I get to learn how to do things even though I can’t see really good,” she said. “I like to be with my friends there. We like a lot of the same things and we can help each other without being embarrassed to ask for help. I can even be a big helper, too!”

In addition to her vision impairment, Breanna is developmentally delayed and has a seizure disorder. She has a number of neurological and gastrointestinal issues. Her condition is so complex and rare that doctors call it “Breanna Syndrome.”

The teenager, who doctors said “wouldn’t make it past the age of three,” has come a long way.

“The program allows Breanna to just be a kid with other kids who don’t judge her or make fun of her,” said Tisha Castillo, Breanna’s mom. “SHARP gives her a chance to excel. She is with children who she can help instead of always being the kid who can’t do it by herself. SHARP has helped Breanna be Breanna. Friends and staff love her for who she is. No pity. No stares, Nothing. I can’t imagine where Breanna would be emotionally or socially without SHARP.”

Tyler Cannon is blind in one eye. The 9-year-old boy has a condition called septo-optic dysplasia. His vision impairment has posed some difficulties for him at school and in his neighborhood.

“Visual impairments are hard,” said his mom, Tonya Cannon. “Tyler is always being picked on at school and around here near home. It’s so bad, I’m afraid to let him go outside.”

Since enrolling Tyler in the weekly Saturday SHARP program last September, Tonya has seen “incredible improvement in his attitude.”

“Tyler has somewhere he can go and have fun,” she said. “He feels that he is a helper. He feels needed and, to him, that is important. I like SHARP because it has built up Tyler’s self esteem, and he has more confidence in himself. He is happier and looks forward to Saturdays.”

Tyler says he likes meeting new friends in the program. “I get to go somewhere by myself and do different activities with friends.”

Another student who likes meeting new friends at SHARP is Miracle Liggins, an 11-year-old with retinopathy of prematurity. She has scarring on her retina and is partially blind in one eye.

“The program is important to me because it lets me be around people who have the same problems like me,” she said. “SHARP helps me improve with different life skills. It’s fun and gets me out of the house watching cartoons.”

Miracle’s mom, Akina, believes the program has helped her daughter in many ways.

“She’s developed a lot of confidence and independence,” she said. “The program has made her more aware of her visual impairment and taught her to use her resources. It’s also let her know there’s more people around like her and that she’s not the only one with vision problems.”

One of the unique features of the SHARP program is that it encourages siblings to participate. Miracle’s brother, Kenneth, is a perfect example.

“I try to help her with directions that she can’t read or just to give her a hand with some of the harder things she has to do,” Miracle’s younger brother said. “I like helping the other kids that go there, too.”

Echoing that sentiment is SHARP participant Max Ashton’s older sister, 14-year-old Allison.

“I know that sometimes it’s hard for him to see so I help him,” she said. “But I like to help other kids like Max, too. That’s why the SHARP program is fun for me.”

Max, who is ten, has been attending the program for five years.

“I love the summer field trips, especially bowling,” he said. “It’s fun and I get to do a lot of things that I don’t usually get the chance to.”

Max and Allison’s mom, Lisa, has been a member of the FBC Board of Directors since July 2006. She is also a strong advocate of the SHARP program.

“The SHARP program is incredible for these kids because it gives them the opportunity to meet other kids with vision issues,” she said. “I believe it’s important for Max to know that he can do anything he puts his mind to succeed in life. This program allows him to try different activities, sports, foods (even shrimp), and experiences that he would normally find challenging like rock climbing and baseball.”

Staff member, Carol Duron, looks forward to SHARP Saturdays, where she serves as a bus aide and “game room person.”

“They call me “the bingo lady,” she laughed. “I have a bingo machine box I call “Grace,” and the kids just love it. I do anything to make them laugh. I want to give them something to look forward to on weekends.”

Carol feels the students have a way of making her feel needed and appreciated. She also believes they have helped her develop a few skills she didn’t know she possessed.

“Sometimes they ask me what kind of day it is,” she said. “Or they ask me to describe what a dog looks like they might be petting. I notice my surroundings more. They bring out the observational skills you have.”

Mostly, Carol hopes that she’s making a difference in the lives of the kids she serves.

“These kids are so pure in their hearts,” she said. “And I know that life, sometimes, can be a big, dark world to them. What’s important is that I can be a light in their world.”

To learn more about SHARP activities or job/volunteer opportunities, please call Cody Alvarez at 602-331-1470.

by Rich Kenney

June 2007