The Spokesman

On a cold and snowy December evening, members of Pedal-with-Pete met for the presentation of their annual grant for cerebral palsy research. Susan DeFago, PWP President, made the presentation. Carol Ashby of Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh, received the check for $20,000 on behalf of Dr. Leland Albright, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

This year's grant is a result of monies raised through Pedal-with-Pete's annual bike-a-thon, the Emmetsberg, Iowa ride, individual contributions, and memorial gifts. The organization is staffed completely by volunteers, and expenses have been kept at a minimum. As a result, 85% of funds received were available for research.

The grant to Dr. Albright will support his research at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, one of the premier pediatric referral centers in the world. The Spesticity and Movement Disorder Clinic at the hospital treats children and young adults with spasticity-the involuntary muscle tightness and stiffness related to cerebral palsy (CP) or head trauma. Research in spasticity and movement disorders has been promising in recent years, and Dr. Albright is at the forefront of this investigation. The Clinic at Children's was the first site in the US approved by the Food and Drug Administration to study intrathecal baclofen therapy-a procedure in which the drug baclofen which helps to reduce spasticity is distributed into spinal fluid by means of a small surgically implanted pump. Another promising procedure being investigated at Children's is deep brain stimulation which can help control tremors related to CP or head injury. These two treatments are improving the quality of the lives of many children who live with spasticity related to CP and other movement disorders. Pedal-with-Pete is pleased to be able to support this important and promising work.

It was just like Christmas all over again when the boxes began to arrive at Pete's place! A new Compac Pentium 200 with 128 MB RAM and a 17-inch monitor is now up and running-thanks to a "caring little elf in Seattle" who works for Microsoft. Shawn and Lynne Aebi heard about Pete from Shawn's cousin Wendy Fox of Alliance. They wanted to help. They found the computer through their internal newsletter and with the help of software purchased through their company store, they were able to make a difference for Pete.

Like for many others with cerebral palsy, Pete depends on his computer to provide a vital link to communications of all kinds. It's a way to keep in touch with friends through e-mail, to hop on the internet to explore and learn, and to feel less isolated when he cannot get out. The computer opens doors which otherwise might be inaccessible.

Using a computer can prove challenging for able-bodied hands. It's an even greater challenge for those with impaired movement. For Pete, a conventional mouse presents major problems-it's difficult for him to control. A rolling ball is a much better solution. For others, voice activation might be the answer. Pete is still learning to use his new machine. It will take time to discover how best to adapt the computer to his needs.

Here are a couple of internet sites which have been suggested to him. They might prove helpful to others who are looking for ways to make their computer more accessible:

http://www.microsoft.com/enable/
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/mobility.htm

Pete is most grateful to the "elves in Seattle" who made this much needed computer a possibility. To them he sends a heartfelt...

By now we hope that all of you have dusted off your bike or broken in your new walking shoes! It's time to WALK or RIDE to MAKE A DIFFERENCE! More than 75 businesses and individuals have signed on as sponsors and registrations to ride and to walk are coming in. We are poised and ready to go!

Registration will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Fred Fuller Park in Kent. A 2 mile walk and a 17 or 40 mile bike route are planned.