Christmas Comes Early for Eastern Iowa Child
Five-year-old Aiden Babka was surprised with a shiny new bike at St. Luke's Witwer Children's Therapy just in the 'nick' of time for Christmas. Not just any bike - but an adaptive bike made especially for the North Liberty boy with special needs.
Aiden has Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. According to his parents, Beth and Jim, it's believed that Aiden developed Cerebral Palsy when he was a baby after suffering a stroke just days after birth.
"Aiden has a congenital heart defect and had heart surgery to repair the defect when he was only 11 days old," said Beth. "It's believed he suffered a stroke during surgery."
"We take Aiden to St. Luke's Witwer Children's Therapy once a week for physical therapy," said Jim. "A few times during our therapy sessions, Aiden would use an adaptive bike and he really enjoyed it. It's one of the few things he can do independently, which is nice because it allows him to be like other five-year-olds."
Not only is riding a bicycle a fun activity for children of all ages, it offers significant health benefits for children with disabilities.
An adaptive bike can cost over $3,000 - a price that's out of reach for many families. Aiden's bike was made possible with money from St. Luke's Health Care Foundation. The Foundation was awarded a grant from the Dominick McDermott Trust, which created the Patient Assistance Adapted Bike Fund. This fund helps children, ages 3-18, who may benefit from specialized equipment.
"This bike will allow Aiden to enjoy PE class at school and ride at our home this summer," said Beth. "We are so thankful for this wonderful Christmas gift!"
