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10 Turnstone kids to receive therapeutic trikes for Christmas

News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, IN) - 12/16/2014

Dec. 16--Her smile said it all. Who can forget their first bicycle? But unlike most kids Geiosha Wilson's first bike has arrived in time for her 17th Christmas.

Wilson, a senior at Wayne High school, has cerebral palsy and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. Having a new bike will allow her to do things most kids take for granted.

"Now she can ride her bike in the park with the rest of the kids," said Brenda Thomas, her grandmother.

Wilson's bike, along with nine others, is actually an AmTryke, a therapeutic tricycle. AmTrykes are being provided to children at Turnstone from AMBUCS, a service organization with 140 chapters in 28 states. Their members work to create mobility and independence for people with disabilities in a variety of different ways. One of the most important ways they fulfill that mission is to raise money for AmTrykes.

Two years ago the company held a bike camp at Turnstone and that was when Wilson first discovered she could ride a therapeutic tricycle, which can be hand or foot operated. She had her name placed on the AmTryke National Wish List to receive one. It was a two-year wait, but Monday afternoon that dream became a reality.

Chanda Lichtsinn, a speech language pathologist pediatric therapy manager at Turnstone, had told her husband, Bill, about the donation and said they were looking for people to help assemble the AmTrykes. After quizzing his wife on how difficult they would be to assemble, Lichtsinn, who works for WaterFurnace, was able to find some co-workers willing to donate their time Saturday to put together the 10 AmTrykes.

The fully assembled AmTrykes are being picked up this week by the lucky 10 children chosen. The trikes are expensive, ranging from $800 to $1,200 and not everyone can afford one without a little help.

AmTryke makes and distribute the tricycles. About 95 percent of their trikes are given away through the efforts of their members and other donors. Since the inception of the AmTryke program in 1994, more than 15,000 tricycles have been distributed around the world to riders of all ages.

For those families in need of charitable intervention, AMBUCS has established the National AmTryke Wish List so all people, regardless of their disabilities, can know what it's like to ride a "bike."

During the 2014 AMBUCS National Conference in St. Louis, the organization collectively raised money to support riders who are currently waiting on the AmTryke National Wish List. The children of Turnstone will receive AmTrykes as a result of that fundraiser. Children receiving them range in ages from 3 to 17 years old.

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(c)2014 The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

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