physical disability
Shoes for children with physical disabilities
Living in Alaska is always an adventure….sometimes the adventure is fun, sometimes it’s just plain effort. This week we went from a deep freeze to a quick thaw in roughly 48 hours. The weather swung from -25 to 45 in a very short span of time and has simply wrecked havoc with the roads, services and just about everything else. The schools have been closed for the past two days and we have been enjoying a mini mid-week vacation.
Today the family got a little bored so we ventured to Target. Target opened it’s first Alaska store in Wasilla last October. I love this store when it comes to outfitting Quincy! They have great selection with great prices.
Quincy has little feet that are hard to slide into shoes. It’s a challenge to find a shoe that will fit her foot, that is easy to put on, and that will stay on. It also has to be fairly light since she kicks her legs around a lot and we don’t want her to hurt herself or someone else by kicking them with a big, heavy shoe. I love Converse Chuck Taylors. They are easy to put on, lightweight, and fashionable. They come in bright colors, pastel colors, patterns, polka-dots…you name it. It has become Quincy’s shoe of choice.
Today at Target she scored a new, pink pair and they were less than $5! Seriously, how cool is it when something you love is at such a great price? Times are tough and most families I know are sticking to a pretty tight budget, including mine, and when I can replace a pair of shoes for $5 it’s a small victory. And, since pink is my favorite color I can even afford to get myself a matching pair!!
Check out these cuties!
Adaptive skiing and therapeutic recreation
Over the Thanksgiving holiday we skied with Quincy. It was so much fun! Our local mountain got nearly 20″ of powder every night of the four-day holiday. It was skiers paradise and a perfect way to kick off the season!
My husband and I have been trained on how to use a bi-ski and that is what we use with Q. Rob has his Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Level 1 adaptive certification, so he really does know what he’s doing. The bi-ski (also called a sit-ski) is a device that has a bucket seat attached to two skis with two shorter outrigger skis on the back to keep it balanced. It is operated by a very skilled skier who holds two tether lines and by using those lines can make the ski carve turns to either the right or left.
My role is to assist loading the bi-ski onto the chair lift and then to shadow Rob and Quincy, blocking any stray snowboarder or novice skier who may wander into their path. A collision with another skier is just one of the many hazards we must avoid. Rough, tracked-out conditions can create a bumpy ride and just like with any skier if the bi-ski catches an edge it can tip. It can tip going too slow, it can tip going too fast. I am quite proud to say that we have never, ever dumped Quincy. And that is incredibly important. She places full trust in our abilities and if we fail her it will be very difficult to earn it back. When we trained on the bi-ski we started by using sandbags instead of a child…we dumped plenty of sandbags. Then, we practiced on able-bodied people…it’s always good to experience the equipment first hand so you have a clear understanding of what the ride is like, what is scary, what is fun, etc… We finally began with Q and we’ve been skiing with her on our own for nearly three seasons with a perfect safety record. It’s not to say that Rob and I haven’t suffered through plenty of bumps and bruises…but we suffer them happily for Q. There is no more perfect freedom that being completely independent on the mountain…cruising where we want when we want without anyone’s assistance.
If you ever have the opportunity to volunteer at any therapeutic recreation program, be it skiing or swimming or anything, please try it. There is no better reward than the smile on the face of a child who experiences something they have never done before.
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