Special Kids                                  click to view KHK EVENTS

Stefan Henry, 14
Stefan has a very positive attitude about life.  Even though a car accident made him a quadriplegic, he maintains a great outlook.
He lives in a small house with a small lawn.  When we first talked to Stefan and his family, we talked about giving him a ramp, but that would have taken up the entire lawn and there are other kids in the family, so we decided to wait a little longer, raise some more money and instead, got Stefan a porch lift which takes up much less room.  Stefan is very grateful to the many volunteers who contributed to this more costly, but more practical solution, and he wants everyone to know how dramatically it has changed his life forever.

Qadir Ambrose, 12
Qadir lived through all the frightening things that a kid lives through when diagnosed with a brain tumor – hospitals, tests, operations, chemotherapy, radiation, being alone and scared, and then coming home to a changed life.  Working with the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey, Kids Helping Kids was able to give Qadir something to help him feel a little bit more normal and get him back out into the world again...a bicycle.

Jon was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic scoliosis and neuromuscular myopathy requiring spinal fusion surgery.  He has great difficulty with mobility and needs to stay on the first floor of the house.  We helped his family build a bathroom on that level to make Jon’s life easier.

What could be more terrifying than being awoken and finding your house engulfed in flames?  When Kenya found herself in that horrifying situation she had to do something few of us could possibly imagine – she had to jump out her window to save her life.  In doing so, she sustained a spinal cord injury.  Now confined to a wheelchair, Kenya needed a ramp to get into her house, but her family had no money to pay for it.  That’s where we came in.  Kids Helping Kids bought Kenya a portable ramp and now she can work on putting her life back together.

Kitty Kidd, 8
Kitty lost her hearing after receiving chemotherapy for a brain tumor.  We were able to provide a specialized hearing aid to help Kitty take her place back in school and return to the fun of being a kid again.

Sarah Jameison had never been an ordinary teenager.  Gifted with an extraordinary voice, Sarah loved to sing and had taken singing lessons for many years.  But a terrible car accident left her with severe brain injuries, including severe weakness in the nerve controlling vocal cord motion.  She could no longer sing the same way as before.  After spending many months in the Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, Sarah went home, but went home changed.  Kids Helping Kids decided that helping give Sarah back what was so much a part of her life before, would be very much true to our mission, so we funded six months of voice lessons for Sarah... a wonderful gift for a wonderfully talented teen.

Ravi Genao, 20
Ravi was struck by lightning at a family wedding when he was 16.  Ravi remains totally disabled and needs a specialized wheelchair we were able to provide.

Osceola Adams, 18
Osceola, diagnosed with acute disseminating meningoencephalitis, needs a ramp for access to his house.  KHK kids raised money for Osceola to be able to have the freedom to move around like other older teens.

Kyle Kerpan, 10
KHK helped the Kerpans purchase a modified van.  Kyle was diagnosed with a progressive glioma who is now paraplegic and confined to a wheel chair.

Jimmy Cox
Jimmy Cox’s life changed after a brain hemorrhage.  His recovery was remarkable but ultimately, he couldn’t continue his physical therapy because of insurance, so KHK helped him get a much needed treadmill.  And then he discovered Sled Hockey.

His mom, Joanne, wrote about Jimmy’s experience with sled hockey, summing up how important it is for us to work hard to keep this for all the kids:

“...what a season it was!  I can’t thank you enough for putting us in touch with the sled hockey team.  To watch the team play is really amazing.  They are awesome!  The kids and their families are great.  WE have made so many new friends.  It is so inspiring to watch the players on the ice.  All the struggles that they have in their everyday lives disappear when they get strapped into their sleds and fly out onto the ice.  The smiles never leave their faces the whole time they’re playing.  Even afterward in the locker room, they are typical boys joking and laughing about the plays they made in the game.  I love to see them so happy; it puts a smile on my face.  One of the highlights this year was being on the ice at Madison Square Garden during a Rangers game.  I know it’s a day we will never forget.  WE have traveled to many new places and met many wonderful generous people who do so much to keep the sport of sled hockey alive.  It’s been a lot of fun and we are looking forward to playing next season.  Thanks again to Kids Helping Kids for making it all possible!”

Gina Iezzi
The MKA swim team and KHK MKA volunteers held a Swim-a-thon and raised the money to grant Gina her wish to have a Girl’s Night Out with her friends.  With KHK’s help, Gina took her friends to her favorite restaurant compliments of KHK and had a great time being with her friends again.

Iesha McNair, 18
Iesha is an 18 year old girl who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2002.  She underwent chemotherapy for two years and went into remission until 2004 when she relapsed and had to undergo a leg amputation.  She has been wheelchair bound since 2004.  When her wheelchair broke and insurance could not help with a replacement, her child life specialist called KHK.  According to the therapist, the insurance will only replace wheelchairs every three years.

Christine Swart
Christine was having a difficult time transitioning back to school and her circle of friends after her hospitalization at Children’s Specialized Hospital.  She heard about KHK from the Child Life Specialist at the hospital and together they wrote to KHK.  Christine stated, “I’m finding it difficult to spend time with my friends because they don’t understand what happened to me after my illness and they are distancing themselves. I would like to have an organized night out where we could spend time together and they could learn about my illness.”  KHK sponsored a night on the town and a spa day for Christine and her friends.  Christine had indicated that she was interested in starting her own KHK Club at her school and was hoping one of the KHK volunteers would attend the Girls’ Night Out and present KHK to her friends.  Andrea Baumgarten, a long time KHK volunteer talked about KHK and answered questions.  It was a great experience for everyone.

Lincoln Hospital Bronx
Montclair High Schools KHK club collected new Arts and Crafts items for Lincoln Hospital’s Pediatric unit.  They sent huge boxes!

Brooklyn Hospital Child Life Department
KHK raised the funds to buy a transport wheelchair for the Pediatric Unit at The Brooklyn Hospital Center.  The hospital is in such dire financial straits that the Child Life Specialists had to use a rolling office chair to transport children to and from the playroom.