by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Christopher Peeples is two years old and he still has not learned to walk. He watches his twin brother Andrew walk and ride a tricycle, but Chris cannot play or do things that other children his age can.
Chris and Andrew both have cerebral palsy. The twins were born 10 weeks early and because of that, they both suffer from this condition. Andrew is able to walk on his own. Chris is the opposite; he can’t walk, use a regular toilet seat or run around. Chris can crawl and sit on his own only when he is sitting Indian-style or if someone is holding him up.
Chris’ and Andrew’s parents, Laura and Jason, have learned to help their children as much as they can. The couple also has an 8-year-old son, Wesley, who was 14 weeks premature and suffers from cerebral palsy, too.
“It’s not a choice and we do what we can do,” said Laura. “God does not give you more than you can handle.”
Now that their oldest son has learned to walk and Andrew can do many things on his own already, Laura and Jason are trying to help Chris have a normal life, said Laura.
“It is his extremities that affect him,” said Laura. “(Cerebral palsy) never gets worse, but it doesn’t get better.”
Jason has a full-time job with excellent insurance, but it does not cover everything that the family needs to help Chris. There are certain pieces of equipment that they want to buy Chris so he can lead a normal life, said Laura.
When he crawls he uses his forearms while he moves back and forth on his legs. He can’t use a toilet because he can’t sit up on his own, so he still has to wear a diaper. Chris watches Andrew play on a tricycle and he tells his parents that he wants to do that, too.
To help Chris walk, go to the bathroom on his own and play like other children, there are three pieces of equipment the family wants that are not covered by insurance.
“We were turned down by insurance for a stander and the toilet seat because they said it wasn’t necessary,” said Laura. “But he needs these things to be independent.”
The Dynamic Stander, used to help people walk, costs $2,015 without the accessories. The toilet seat costs $260 and the back part of the toilet seat costs $173. The tricycle is something the family knows is not a necessity, but Chris’s parents would like to have a toy he could use to play with other children. The tricycle costs $980.
“A lot of people have equipment like this and they don’t know what to do with it. We would gladly take used equipment and if we can’t use it, we will donate it to another family that can,” said Laura. “This is a lot bigger than just Chris.”
The most important piece of equipment the family would like to have is the stander.
“He needs a stander just to move around by himself and he does know that he should be walking and not crawling,” she said. “Walking is the most important and this is the opportunity to learn, when he is little.”
Laura added that it is important to learn to stand and walk to have good bone growth, too.
After being turned down by their insurance company, Laura decided she had to come up with a way to give him these things.
“Jason said that Christopher looks like a little turtle when he crawls,” said Laura. “I prayed that I would be able to do something to get him the equipment he needs.”
Laura’s mother had the idea of making bracelets and on each bracelet there is a small turtle charm. Laura decided to make turtle bracelets and sell them at craft shows and businesses. Her bracelets come in all sizes and colors, but each bracelet has one turtle charm.
Laura taught herself how to make bracelets and now she is making necklaces, too.
“Every night after they go to bed I sit down and make as many as I can,” she said. “It is very relaxing and it takes me away from everything else.”
Many people find out about the bracelets through word-of-mouth. Some are given as gifts and others find out about Chris when Laura takes her bracelets to craft shows.
Laura said when a bracelet is purchased they will get a card that says, “Charmed By Chris.” All bracelets are $7 and Laura will also take special orders, she said.
“Sometimes Chris will go with me (to craft shows) and they can talk to him and see how smart he is,” said Laura. “Everybody is really good to us.”
To purchase a bracelet visit www.charmedbychris.com