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Little boy meets big challenges
  
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By YVETTE OROZCO
Phillip Jones is 2 years old.
According to his mother, he is energetic, boisterous, but not a “terrible two.”
“He is a happy baby, a good baby,” said Rochelle Jones.
Phillip is just like any other little boy, except that he is faced with cerebral palsy and the challenges that come with it.
Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder which affects body movement and development and
Phillip’s family is facing those challenges right along with him.
Jones had to stop working to take care of her son and the family is dependant on the one income from her husband.
Insurance is a limited resource and with the costs of Phillip’s frequent doctors’ visits, ongoing treatment, special food and still-needed medical equipment, challenges multiply daily.
“The biggest challenge for us as a family is that it has been financially hard,” said Jones.
This Saturday at Strawberry Park, members of Jones’ church, Mountain Southeast Ministries in Houston, and other friends have paid their fees and are ready to wear their team colors and meet on the park’s softball field.
But they’re playing for more than bragging rights.
Five 10-member teams from Houston, Baytown and surrounding areas will hold a daylong tournament, sell nachos, hot dogs and drinks and hold a cake auction and raffle featuring Astros tickets — all to help one little boy and his family.
“Every penny will go the family,” said Jackie Palmer, a friend who is helping to organize the event. “If people just come out, that would help so much. We need support.”
Children at 2 years old are learning to walk on their own, and Phillip is only different in that he needs additional support to his legs and back.
“Right now, his doctor wants to increase his physical therapy, but right now he only goes once a week for one hour because that’s all insurance will pay for,” said Palmer. “If he could go more frequently to therapy, then maybe it will help him more.”
Phillip is outgrowing his leg braces, will eventually outgrow his Kid Cart (a specialized wheelchair that promotes walking in children with disabilities) and because his mother cannot bathe him in a standard bathtub, he needs specialized bathing equipment.
The price range for a Kid Cart alone ranges from $800 (used) to $3,000 (new).
Phillip is developmentally behind right now: he cannot talk, walk or sit up on his own, but he has a furious commando crawl, where he uses his stronger arm to propel his entire body forward.
“He’s starting to get into things,” said Jones.
There are many ways friends and family can help Phillips and his family, but this Saturday, the public can do its part.
“As a Christian, I thank God for blessing me with three healthy children,” she said. “I feel that everybody with a healthy child should thank God and help those are not as lucky. Anytime we can help, we should.”
Phillip can grow up like any child, but he will meet more challenges than most.
“I want him to talk, walk and have a normal life,” said Jones. “My faith has me seeing him do that. Whatever he has to do, I want him to be on target with no setbacks.”
Phillip has one strong arm and with it he pulls himself across the floor, pulls his sister’s hair and gets people’s attention when he wants it.
“I see him very serious, he’s always focused and he always figures things out, no matter what,” said his mother. “I can see him having a brilliant mind and being either an attorney, doctor, lawyer – doing something to help someone else. That’s what I see in him – he’s going to be a future leader.”
Until then, his big sister, Bria, is happy with Phillip just as he is.
“I tell him sometimes that he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she said.
To contribute to Phillip’s progress, send to P.O. Box 751162, Houston, TX 77275-1162.
According to his mother, he is energetic, boisterous, but not a “terrible two.”
“He is a happy baby, a good baby,” said Rochelle Jones.
Phillip is just like any other little boy, except that he is faced with cerebral palsy and the challenges that come with it.
Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder which affects body movement and development and
Phillip’s family is facing those challenges right along with him.
Jones had to stop working to take care of her son and the family is dependant on the one income from her husband.
Insurance is a limited resource and with the costs of Phillip’s frequent doctors’ visits, ongoing treatment, special food and still-needed medical equipment, challenges multiply daily.
“The biggest challenge for us as a family is that it has been financially hard,” said Jones.
This Saturday at Strawberry Park, members of Jones’ church, Mountain Southeast Ministries in Houston, and other friends have paid their fees and are ready to wear their team colors and meet on the park’s softball field.
But they’re playing for more than bragging rights.
Five 10-member teams from Houston, Baytown and surrounding areas will hold a daylong tournament, sell nachos, hot dogs and drinks and hold a cake auction and raffle featuring Astros tickets — all to help one little boy and his family.
“Every penny will go the family,” said Jackie Palmer, a friend who is helping to organize the event. “If people just come out, that would help so much. We need support.”
Children at 2 years old are learning to walk on their own, and Phillip is only different in that he needs additional support to his legs and back.
“Right now, his doctor wants to increase his physical therapy, but right now he only goes once a week for one hour because that’s all insurance will pay for,” said Palmer. “If he could go more frequently to therapy, then maybe it will help him more.”
Phillip is outgrowing his leg braces, will eventually outgrow his Kid Cart (a specialized wheelchair that promotes walking in children with disabilities) and because his mother cannot bathe him in a standard bathtub, he needs specialized bathing equipment.
The price range for a Kid Cart alone ranges from $800 (used) to $3,000 (new).
Phillip is developmentally behind right now: he cannot talk, walk or sit up on his own, but he has a furious commando crawl, where he uses his stronger arm to propel his entire body forward.
“He’s starting to get into things,” said Jones.
There are many ways friends and family can help Phillips and his family, but this Saturday, the public can do its part.
“As a Christian, I thank God for blessing me with three healthy children,” she said. “I feel that everybody with a healthy child should thank God and help those are not as lucky. Anytime we can help, we should.”
Phillip can grow up like any child, but he will meet more challenges than most.
“I want him to talk, walk and have a normal life,” said Jones. “My faith has me seeing him do that. Whatever he has to do, I want him to be on target with no setbacks.”
Phillip has one strong arm and with it he pulls himself across the floor, pulls his sister’s hair and gets people’s attention when he wants it.
“I see him very serious, he’s always focused and he always figures things out, no matter what,” said his mother. “I can see him having a brilliant mind and being either an attorney, doctor, lawyer – doing something to help someone else. That’s what I see in him – he’s going to be a future leader.”
Until then, his big sister, Bria, is happy with Phillip just as he is.
“I tell him sometimes that he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she said.
To contribute to Phillip’s progress, send to P.O. Box 751162, Houston, TX 77275-1162.
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