|
jcil
inthenews Phone call made teen's life easier REPRINTED FROM THE JACSON SUN Peggy Ryan of Jackson was a worried woman when she called last week. Ryan said her nephew, Tracy Stewart, needed help and she didn't know where to go to get it. Stewart has twin sons, Bryan and Michael. Bryan who attends West Middle School, has muscular dystrophy and is in a wheelchair. Michael attends South Side High School. "When Tracy is at work, Michael takes care of Bryan after school. But they needed a ramp for Bryan's wheelchair, and the doorway to the bathroom is too small for the wheelchair to get through. Michael knows everything he needs to do for his brother.," Ryan Said. Ryan said her nephew works three days a week so he'll have time to be with Bryan, and since he works part-time, modifying the house was not on their budget. Wheelchair ramps are expensive to build because they have to be designed in a certain way for safety, she said. TennCare is taking care of Bryan's medical cost, and he's checked by the Muscular Dystrophy Association Center in Memphis, she explained. A few years ago, I had done a story on the Jackson Center for Independent Living, so I gave Ryan their phone number. Friday she called back, her excited words tumbling over. "I called them and Glen Barr said, 'No problem. We'll take care of that this week.' And they did. Just like that. They are unbelievable, they are so wonderful. Barr is the director, and Ryan also worked with Karen Climer on getting help. Ryan said her biggest concern is that JCIL has such a small budget and is apparently not well known out in the community. JCIL serves Madison, Dyer, Haywood, McNairy, Carroll, Henderson, Crockett, Hardeman, Gibson and Weakley counties and United Way contributions go directly to things such as wheelchair ramps and making doorways wider. The center also helps disabled people understand what their legal rights are, provides computer training, individual counseling and housing assistance. And that's the short list of what they do. Ryan's goal now is to help them with a fund-raiser. "They had a fund-raiser last year and raised only $800," she said. "You know the child abuse center, WRAP and others get a lot of attention, and they're all very deserving. But nobody's fighting for JCIL. I don't know how to do it, but I'm trying to learn." JCIL is located at 231-D North Parkway in Jackson. To learn more about JCIL, call (731) 668-2211, go to their Web site at www.j-cil.com or e-mail them at jcil704@hotmail.com. Jacque Hillman is The Jackson Sun's
communities editor. To reach her, call (800) 372-3922, ext. 679,
or call 425-9679. Through advocacy, education,
guidance and support, the Jackson Center for Independent Living
provides programs and services to empower people with disabilities
to reach their independent living goals. |