Kayla joined UVM women’s Hockey team under the Team Impact Program. Team Impacts mission is to improve the quality of life for children favoring life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Although Kayla is not able to skate she loves to watch hockey. Kayla has been watching the UVM women’s hockey for two years now and is very excited to be a part of their team. She loves to give the women “high fives” before and after every period and cheer for them in the stands. When the games are past her bedtime, Kayla will go early and watch the team warm up. She loves to be at the rink and always asks if it is a hockey day. It is the first time in 7 years that we have seen Kayla so confident in herself and happy to be a part of the UVM team. … [Read more...]

Finally, a shopping cart specifically designed for children with special needs!  This cart provides parents with a convenient and comfortable option for transporting their child through the store while shopping.  We were fortunate enough to utilize these carts at Target in Nashua, New Hampshire.  The roomy seat and 5-point restraint make it enjoyable to shop with your child.  Spread the word to local stores about investing in a Caroline's Cart to make shopping easier.  Go to Caroline's Cart to check it out. Caroline's Carts are currently located at every Hannaford's Store in Chittenden County! … [Read more...]

Kayla has motor challenges and neurological issues that prevent her from easily riding a bike.  We have made several adaptations to bikes so she is able to experience what it is like to ride like her peers.  She is becoming stronger at riding her adaptive bike but due to her muscle fatigue, her rides are very very short.  She has never understood what it would be like to ride for a mile or more.   A wonderful person loaned me a bike trailer for Kayla to try out in order to "experience" a long ride.  I was not sure whether Kayla would enjoy riding in the back due to noise, bumps, and the general movement of the bike.  Our first ride was a little dicey as our long unpaved driveway has a lot of bumps, which she was a little nervous about.    However, we have gone out on a couple of rides since then and she loves it!  She sings, laughs, and enjoys going fast.  It is great to see her experience what it is like to go on a long … [Read more...]

So off we went to Skirack to see what the options were.  Fabulous Whit looked at the bike and made several adjustments.  Although it is still a tad small for her, she will be able to get another month of riding before moving on to a bigger bike.  Whit also went over bigger bike options and how to make the bike adjustable for her. After the bike was adjusted we went to Veterans Memorial Park where Kayla went on her longest bike ride ever!  She did really well and had so much fun. Thank you Whit! … [Read more...]

An outing to Veterans Memorial Park in South Burlington (Swift Street Extension) .  This park is fantastic for kids 5 and under.  There are numerous climbing apparatuses for both beginners and more experienced children and several different slides.  They also have equipment that works on "core" strength, which was great for Kayla.  There are picnic tables and benches if you want to have lunch. … [Read more...]