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Sooner AMBUCS
Deliver AmTrykes to Special Needs Children
Five central Oklahoma
children with developmental disabilities gained
a new level of mobility and independence Sunday,
October 26, when the Norman chapter of AMBUCS
delivered new AmTryke therapeutic tricycles
to them at the J. D. McCarty Center for children
with developmental disabilities in Norman.
AMBUCS is a national non-profit
service organization dedicated to creating mobility
and independence for people with disabilities.
The McCarty Center is Oklahoma's
center of excellence in the care and treatment
of children with developmental disabilities
from birth to age 21. Since January 2000, the
McCarty Center has been an AmTryke demonstration
site. A demonstration site is where a person
can come to test ride an AmTryke and be assessed
by a certified physical or occupational therapist
for appropriateness. The McCarty Center is one
of more than 200 demonstration sites around
the United States.
AmTrykes can be purchased
by the family or donated by a local AMBUCS chapter.
Sunday three area AMBUCS chapters pooled their
resources to donate AmTrykes to their recipients.
The AmTrykes cost between $400 and $600 a piece
depending on the size and accessories. These
AmTrykes were made possible through the combined
efforts of the Sooner AMBUCS, the Norman AMBUCS,
the Oklahoma City AMBUCS and two anonymous donors.
Receiving an AmTryke were
Logan King of Shawnee, Samuel Wilson of Oklahoma
City, Elaina Fredrickson and Dawson Little of
Norman and Damian Saunders of Sulphur. AmTrykes
may be purchased from AMBUCS. Parents who are
financially unable to purchase one of the tricycles
can make application to AMBUCS for a donated
AmTryke.
Parents who receive the
donated trike agree to return the trike to the
McCarty Center or AMBUCS when their child outgrows
it so that the trike may be refurbished and
used again by another child.
There are 11 different
models of AmTryke to accommodate children of
different sizes and different physical needs.
One model has rotating handlebars and foot pedals
that are connected to the same chain drive.
This allows the rider to use their arms to help
their legs in propelling the trike forward.
Other models are propelled by pedals only.
The AmTryke benefits children
with low muscle tone or paralysis in lower extremities
(like spina bifida) and children with cerebral
palsy who need to build up normal muscle tone
and control. The benefits include increased
coordination, improved muscle strength and improved
balance.
Since 1994, over 9,400
AmTrykes have been distributed around the world.
The majority of these trikes are purchased by
volunteer members of the AMBUCS organization
and donated free of charge to financially needy
children. During this same time period the Sooner
AMBUCS chapter in Norman has provided more than
50 AmTrykes to area children.
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Eleven-year-old Damian
Saunders of Sulphur grins ear-to-ear as
he takes his new AmTryke therapeutic tricycle
on its first ride. Saunders was one of five
central Oklahoma children to receive a donated
AmTryke from the Norman and Oklahoma City
chapters of AMBUCS. AMBUCS is a national,
non-profit, community service organization
dedicated to creating mobility and independence
for people with disabilities. Sending Saunders
on his way are Amy Laizure (left), J. D.
McCarty Center physical therapist and Maria
Greenfield, McCarty Center director of occupational
therapy. The McCarty Center is one of over
200 AmTryke demonstration sites around the
United States.
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