News
Mobility Unlimited gift buoys helper
February 21, 2010
By Sanne Specht
Mail Tribune
Donation pays to convert Debra Hamilton's van so she can continue work in 'Early Childhood Cares' program
Mobility Unlimited funded the conversion of Debra Hamilton's van, and as a result she has been able to maintain her own independence — and continue to help others.
"Because of Mobility Unlimited's gift, because of people donating to this agency, I'm using my vehicle to go out and help families," said Hamilton, a developmental specialist for more than 30 years. "I knew I would turn around and give it back."
Hamilton will be a guest speaker at Mobility Unlimited's annual fundraiser Saturday, March 6, at the Rogue Valley Country Club. She said she can't wait to tell those attending how important the money they donate can be to those who receive their help.
The mission of Mobility Unlimited is to promote self-sufficiency and independence by providing its clients with the equipment necessary to maintain employment, said Glory Cooper, executive director.
"We fund projects like ramps for the home, hand controls, motorized lifts, even shower chairs," Cooper said.
Hamilton spends her days traveling to homes in Lane County, helping parents with children who are medically fragile or who have multiple special needs such as blindness, deafness or orthopedic challenges.
Hamilton works in the University of Oregon "Early Childhood Cares" program as an early intervention coordinator for infants and toddlers, she said. (Correction: See below.)
"A lot of my kids are medically fragile and have multiple needs," Hamilton said.
Hamilton can relate. She has been dealing with her own challenges over the past three decades.
"I have had a progression of vision and hearing loss, coupled with a progressive muscle weakness," Hamilton said.
Hamilton uses a voice computer system, bilateral hearing aids, bilateral leg and hand braces and a customized power chair, she said.
"Thankfully, I am able to walk short distances," she said. "But I use the power chair for longer distances or when I'm fatigued."
Because of her extremely poor vision, Hamilton hires drivers for 21/2 days a week. On the other day and a half, undergraduate students drive her to clients' homes, she said.
"The students are job-shadowing," Hamilton said. "I include them in the partnering as they learn how to do what I am doing."
To do her work, Hamilton needs a specially equipped van to travel the hundreds of miles she logs each week. But her old van was continually breaking down.
Hamilton decided to take advantage of the bargains being offered by car dealerships anxious to make a sale. She found a 2007 van in a Klamath Falls showroom and struck a deal. But converting the stock van to a vehicle she could use required more than $10,000, she said.
That's where Mobility Unlimited was able to help, said Cooper.
Hamilton applied for the agency's assistance and received $12,500. The money fully funded her van's conversion, which included a 10-inch dropped floorboard, ramp, and tilt system that allows Hamilton to get in and out of the van more easily, she said.
"The power doors and rear hatch enable me to independently access the vehicle without depending on someone else," Hamilton said. "It also has a transfer seat, which allows me to adjust the height of my seat to take the pressure off my lower spine."
In addition, the conversion modified the standard seating to allow Hamilton to move her seat forward and back and turn almost 180 degrees, which allows her to move from the passenger seat to her wheelchair independently, she said.
The help she received from Mobility Unlimited has changed her life and allowed her to continue "being a ripple in the pond" of helping, she said. It's a message she'll share at the upcoming fundraiser.
"We're here to give, and we're here to help others," said Hamilton. "That's just what it's all about."
Correction: The university affiliation of Hamilton's program was incorrect in the initial version of this story. This version has been corrected.
Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or e-mail sspecht@mailtribune.com.
