Projects – May We Help

ProjectsKaty Collura2020-07-05T12:23:32-04:00

These are just a sampling of the hundreds of devices May We Help volunteers design, build
and deliver at no cost to hundreds of clients every year!

may_we_help

In lieu of receiving this finalist award at last y

In lieu of receiving this finalist award at last year’s Health Care Heroes ceremony, which was canceled due to COVID, the Cincinnati Business Courier hand-delivered this crystal to May We Help last week. Due to the ceremony’s cancellation, a winner was never selected, but regardless, what an honor for May We Help’s skilled and dedicated volunteers to be recognized for the impact they’ve had on the health of our community!

#healthcareheroes #healthcareheros #healthcarehero #healthcareheroes2020 #healthcareworkers #community #volunteer #volunteering #volunteeropportunities #volunteersrock

Allie has severe visual impairment and low gross m

Allie has severe visual impairment and low gross motor skills, but wants to be able to bike to build strength and balance and have some fun. So May We Help volunteers adapted this tag-along bike by adding a seat with back and side support, foot straps, and training wheels, and now Allie is enjoying all the therapeutic benefits and joys of riding!

#tagalong #tagalongbike #adaptivebikes #trainingwheels #bike #bikelife #bikelove #visuallyimpaired #motorskillsdevelopment #disabled

Ceci uses a walker and loves being outside in natu

Ceci uses a walker and loves being outside in nature, but the further she ventures (usually to take pictures!), the more difficulty she has keeping the wheels from getting caught and stuck. So May We Help volunteers outfitted a new walker for Ceci with larger lightweight wheels, and now Ceci's snapping away!

#walker #cpwalker #photography #photographylife #photographyart #photographyart #photography📷 #photographysouls #photographyeveryday #photographylover #photographyaddict #photooftheday #photodaily #photosession #disabledphotographer #disabledphotographers #disabledphotographers #backcountry

Brandon sings with a lot of local bands but is una

Brandon sings with a lot of local bands but is unable to hold a mic. So May We Help volunteers created this mount on his wheelchair, and now Brandon is reaching more of his fans than ever!

#band #bands #sing #singer #singersongwriter #singing #singersofinstagram #song #vocalist #vocalists #vocalistsofinstagram #disabledsinger #rockandroll #rockandpop #rockandrollhalloffame #rocksndrollmusic #adaptivemusic

Residents at St. Joseph Home love to knit their ow

Residents at St. Joseph Home love to knit their own hats and scarves or make them as gifts for family, but it’s tough or impossible for them to turn a crank. So May We Help volunteers modified this knitting machine to be switch activated!

#knitting #knittingaddict #knittingismytherapy #knittinginspiration #knittinglove #knittingmachine #knittingismyyoga #knittingyarn #knittingaddiction #complexdisability #sewing #sew #sewingproject #hobbies

Liam wanted to bike to school and around the neigh

Liam wanted to bike to school and around the neighborhood, but with his limb deficiencies, he needed a bike with modifications. So, May We Help volunteers stripped down this bike, added rear coaster brakes and gearing, and painted it to Liam’s specifications! #limbdeficiency #limbdifferenceawareness #limbdifference #limbdifferenceawarenessmonth #limbdifferent #limbdifferences #adaptiveathlete #adaptive #adaptivesports #adaptivefitness #adaptivebike #adaptivebicycles #adaptivebikes #adaptivecycling #bike #bikelife #bikeride #bikes #bicycle #bicyclelife #bicycles

Ruth was born with severe hydrocephalus, so standa

Ruth was born with severe hydrocephalus, so standard bike helmets don’t fit her head shape. @abcpedtherapy referred Ruth’s family to May We Help whose volunteers customized a helmet for her!

First, they used a casting process to create a mold of Ruth’s head, distracting her during the process with modeling clay, Legos, books, and ice cream!

Next, volunteers used a resin mold to create a nearly exact copy of Ruth's head, which they used to form the helmet’s liner, including areas to accommodate Ruth’s shunt.

Then Ruth picked out her favorite-looking bike helmet, volunteers replaced its stock liner with the new custom-fit liner, and now Ruth’s riding her bike with her brother and her friends!

#bicycle #bicyclelife #bicycles #helmet #helmets #bikehelmet #bikehelmets #cycling #cyclinglife #cyclingphotos #cyclinglifestyle #hydrocephalus #custombikehelmets #adaptiveathlete #adaptivesports #adaptivebike #adaptivecycling #disabledbikers #disabledsports

Victoria wanted to ride her scooter with her older

Victoria wanted to ride her scooter with her older sister and the other kids in the neighborhood, but because of her condition, plus a brace she wears over her foot and ankle, her balance can be off. So, May We Help volunteers modified Victoria’s scooter by adding two wheels in the back with a brake, and now Victoria’s scootering again! #skateboard #skateboardingisfun #skateboards #skateboarder #skateboardinglife #skateboardlife #skateboardlife #skateboardisfun #skateboarder #skateboarders #skateboardersruletheworld #skateboarderforlife #cerebralpalsy #cerebralpalsyawareness #cerebralpalsywarrior #cerebralpalsykids #cerebralpalsymom #scooter #scootering #scooterlife #scooterkid

Annette’s sewing machine is pedal operated, but

Annette’s sewing machine is pedal operated, but she can’t use her feet and needs both hands for operating the machine’s other functions. @Agribility referred Annette to May We Help whose volunteers modified the pedal, and now Annette can control it with a pneumatic actuator she controls with her breath!
@OhioAgrAbility
#broken hip #sewing #sewingproject #sewingismytherapy #sewingmachine #sewingroom #sewingfun #sewingaddict #sewinginspiration #sewingday #sewingblog #sewingmakesmehappy #sewingtherapy #sewingblogger #sewinglife #adaptivesewing #sew #sewistsofinstagram #sewingroom #sewingaddict

The Margaret B. Rost School provides instruction t

The Margaret B. Rost School provides instruction to students with significant disabilities, and they were in need of adaptive tools and everyday items for use in teaching vocational skills and practical tasks. So May We Help volunteers made a whole host of custom adaptive devices like these switch-operated spray bottles! #vocationaltraining #vocationalschool #practicallifeskills #spraybottle #specialneedsparent #specialneedsparents #specialneedskids #specialneedsteacher #specialneedsschool #specialneedsschools #specialneedskids #specialneedschild

Beau plays t-ball but limited hand size and grip s

Beau plays t-ball but limited hand size and grip strength mean the glove sometimes falls off his hand when making a catch. So May We Help volunteers attached a leather strap to his glove that velcros to his wrist, and now Beau’s back to playing ball!
#arthrogryposis #baseball #tball #tball⚾️ #tballmom #tballpractice #tballstar #tballer #adaptiveathlete #adaptivesports #adaptivebaseball #disabled

Halloween is May We Help’s favorite holiday beca

Halloween is May We Help’s favorite holiday because May We Help volunteers take special requests for costumes that mount directly to power chairs to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces and magnificent memories! #halloween #halloween2020 #halloweencostume #halloweenmakeup #halloweendecor #powerchair #wheelchairgirl #wheelchairlife #disabled #wheelchairfun

#Repost @littleredwheelchair ・・・ 18 months a

#Repost @littleredwheelchair
・・・
18 months ago, when Oona was 4, we attended a violin workshop with our son. He'd already been playing for over a year, and I've played since I was a little girl, so Oona was desperate to join in. She took a brush and a pen from my handbag and she put the hairbrush up on her shoulder and played along for six whole hours.

I don't know if it's true that the violin is really the hardest instrument to learn. I've heard a lot of people say that. I do know that it is certainly a very difficult task to learn to play a violin, and if you have a child with a physical disability who wants to play the violin, this adds another hefty layer of extreme! But of course, this is Oona, who has never been afraid of anything.

So I thought about the way I hold my violin and what the major difficulties would be for Oona, and how these could be alleviated. Then I wrote an email to a charity I found online called @may_we_help , and we waited. This was the start of an incredible international collaboration with a group of high school students in Ohio USA, for which we are incredibly grateful.
You can read the whole story on Oona’s Facebook page @littleredwheelchair #teamzebedee #disabledmusicians #violin #learningviolin #inclusionmatters #abilitynotdisability #wheelchair #musicforall #musicisforeveryone

May We Help was founded by “The Three Bills” i

May We Help was founded by “The Three Bills” in 2010, and although all three played key roles, Bill Sand and Bill Deimling are the first to say that it was Bill Wood who pushed for the formation of the organization, and that it was Bill Wood who saw the value that May We Help could bring the community!

As far back as 2003, Bill Wood was using his skills as a mechanical engineer to help people in the community. For example, after he met Patty Kempf – an avid reader with no arm mobility, who was using a pencil taped to her head to turn pages – Bill went straight to his workshop and built Patty an automatic page-turner.

Today, May We Help consists of over 75 skilled and dedicated volunteers who design, build and deliver hundreds of one-of-a-kind custom devices every year, all over the country, and always at no charge.

Thank you, Bill, for everything you've done to make the world an easier and more joyful, meaningful and rewarding place for people with disabilities.

As Charlie, owner of the historic Mariemont Barber Shop, said about you, “a finer man we’ve never met.” #disabledlife #lifewithdisability #disabilityawareness #disability #disabilityadvocate #disabled #disabilityinclusion #disabledartist #disabilityrights #disabilities #disabilityjustice #disabledandproud #disable #disabledandproud #disabilitylife #disabledmodel #disabledveteran #disabledgirl #cerebralpalsy #cerebralpalsykids #cerebralpalsyawareness #wheelchair #wheelchairlife #wheelchairgirl #wheelchairlife♿

Ryanne is working on riding a tricycle with her PT

Ryanne is working on riding a tricycle with her PT, but sometimes it’s tough for her to keep her feet on the pedals. So May We Help volunteers added these pedal straps, and now Ryanne’s getting all the fun and therapeutic benefits of biking! #bikelife #bike #bikes #bikeriding #adaptivebike #bicycle #bicycles #bicyclelife #adaptivebicycles #chromosomedisorder #rarechromosomedisorder #rarechromo #mom #momlife #wavehello

Harrison’s OT found that spinning helps fulfill

Harrison’s OT found that spinning helps fulfill his sensory needs, and – to encourage the helpful activity at home – Harrison’s family thought it would be more fun if they all spun together! So, May We Help volunteers created this spinning platform! #sensoryplay #sensory #sensoryprocessingdisorder #autism# #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapist #occupationaltherapyforkids #occupationaltherapystudents #occupationaltherapyrocks #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapists #family #familytime #familyiseverything #familyfirst #familyfun #spin #disabledlife

May We Help held another Adaptive Equipment Swap y

May We Help held another Adaptive Equipment Swap yesterday! We started the swap in March of last year, and it has already matched over 275 people with over $1 million worth of life-changing equipment! #adaptiveequipment #adaptiveathlete #adaptivesports #disabledlife #wheelchair #wheelchairgirl #wheelchairlife #cerebralpalsy #cerebralpalsyawareness #cerebralpalsykids

Danny’s service dog, Zach, needs a ramp to get i

Danny’s service dog, Zach, needs a ramp to get in and out of Danny’s Highlander. But Danny is paralyzed on his right side from a TBI and has difficulties setting up the ramp. So, May We Help volunteers modified this ramp which allows Danny to easily pull it down into place with one hand. #disabledlife #tbisurvivor #tbi #paralyzed #servicedog #servicedoggear #servicedoglife #tbiawareness #livingwithtbi #disableddrivers

St. Joseph Home needed a computer desk suitable fo

St. Joseph Home needed a computer desk suitable for multiple residents, but each resident has his or her own unique needs. So, May We Help volunteers designed this desk that allows residents to easily customize their orientation to the computer. #computer #computerdesk #computersetup #computers #desksetup #officedesk ##disabledlife #officeenvironment

Michael plays the violin, but after a stroke, he c

Michael plays the violin, but after a stroke, he could no longer curl his fingers around the bow. So, May We Help volunteers made this bow holder to accommodate Michael’s grip. #violin #violinist #violín #violinista #violinistsofinstagram #violinpractice #violinplayer #violinmaker #violinteacher #violinlife #violinbow #disabledlife #disabledmusicians #adaptivemusic #stroke #lifeafterstroke

Livestream Presentation by Paralympic Gold Medalis

Livestream Presentation by Paralympic Gold Medalist Mike Schultz, ESPY 2018 Best Male Athlete with a Disability

Mike’s story is pure inspiration!

He’s in a snocross competition when he flies off his machine resulting in injuries that require the amputation of his leg. Mike’s first prosthesis allows him to learn to walk again but not to compete at a championship level. So Mike engineers his own prosthesis with a patented linkage system and mountain bike shock, and takes gold at the 2018 Paralympics!

Support the work of May We Help and hear Mike tell his story firsthand August 23rd 7:30pm!
Register at www.maywehelp.org #disabledlife #disabled #adaptiveathlete #adaptivesports #adaptivefitness #adaptiveathletes #adaptivesnowboarding #adaptivesnowsports #snowmobiling #snowmobilingislife #snowmobiles #snocross #snowboarding #snowboard #snowboardgirl #goldmedal #goldmedalist #inspiration #inspirationalquotes #inspiringothers #inspiringstories #tedtalk #tedtalks #inspiringathletes

What if you can’t swing a bat but want to play b

What if you can’t swing a bat but want to play baseball? That’s the problem May We Help volunteers originally solved for the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League back in 2016 with the Batter Up, which allows kids to step up to the plate and experience the delight of their ball soaring through the air!
Well, now there are Batter-Ups all over the region, and the new environments they’re being used in have created new needs. So May He Help volunteer and co-founder, Bill Sand, updated the Batter-Up!
This prototype is safer and easier to transport, not just from the garage to the car but also from the car to the field too! Plus, it’s smaller than the original, has variable speeds, collapsible handles, and an easily detachable bat and wheels! #baseball #baseballlife⚾️ #baseballboys #baseballseason #baseballlife #disabledsports #batterup #summertime #summersports #batterupbaseball

May We Help volunteers made 900 face shields, and

May We Help volunteers made 900 face shields, and all were swooped up by area hospitals and care centers: Drake, Good Sam, Carespring, Nationwide Children’s, Community Behavioral Health, Hamilton County DD, and Cincinnati VA. #getmeppe #ppe #frontline #covid #covid #healthcareworkers #faceshield #pandemic #weareinthistogether #somegoodnews #globalpandemic #volunteer #hospital

May We Help volunteers are making face shields to

May We Help volunteers are making face shields to help our local healthcare workers stay safe!
Here's how!
May We Help volunteer Katie Seibert wanted to help our community’s healthcare workers stay safe by providing face shields to help offset the shortage.
So, she made a few prototypes and delivered them to a team at Drake Hospital. Drake lived with the face shields for 24 hours to ensure that they were functional, durable and withstood regular, rigid cleanings – which they did!
Then came the hard part: sourcing the materials! Katie spent three days scouring Greater Cincinnati for enough elastic, foam, double-sided tape and a specific type of vinyl.
And when she couldn’t find the right type of vinyl, she drove all the way to Cleveland to get it!
In her search for the right type of foam, Katie contacted May We Help volunteer Gary Wolford, whose company, Thaman Rubber, volunteered to machine cut the sheets of vinyl into individual pieces, saving tons of time and ensuring a high-quality finished product!
The vinyl pieces will be completed on Wednesday, and on Thursday, from noon-4pm, May We Help volunteers will assemble 1,200 face shields to fill requests from Drake, Carespring, St. Elizabeth, and Good Samaritan hospitals!

#covid_19 #covıd19 #covid #healthcareworkers #healthcareheroes #healthcareheros #faceshield #faceshields #ppe #hospital #community #covidresponse #helpingothers #helpeachother #helpinghealthcareworkers #volunteer #volunteering