On October 21, 2011, Freedom Construction Instructor, Mr. John Hewat, and 11of his advanced students traveled to the home of Kelly Blanton in Taylorsville. Kelly was badly hurt in an equestrian competition back in the summer out in Shawnee Oklahoma, when she was thrown from her horse. She was paralyzed from the neck down due to the severity of her spinal cord injury.
The reason Mr. Hewat and his students went to Kelly’s house was to build a handicapped accessible ramp so she could be wheeled in and out of her house while in therapy and recovery.
Seeing another need, Mr. Hewat employed the help of Mr. Tim Smith, FHS Automotives Instructor, to help him design a special bed that could be used to stand Kelly upright to begin to put pressure on her feet and legs – all the while she is strapped securely into the bed. The customized bed started with a donated bed from Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Freedom’s Partner in Education. From there, Mr. Smith and his students fabricated the needed parts from metal and put the new bed together. The best news is that doctors predict that Kelly will walk again, and she is determined to work hard to make that happen. This custom bed is an integral part of her recovery plan.
Freedom’s connection with Burke Hospice cannot be overlooked as they are a true partner in education. They donate materials to our Allied Healthcare program and two of their administrators are on our School Improvement Team. Mr. Hewat and his students have been to the Hospice facility and have worked on a gazebo, sidewalks, brickwork, and ramps.
We appreciate the contributions of our friends at Hospice, and we are moved by the love shown by Mr. Hewat and Mr. Smith through our excellently trained construction and automotive students.