BEGINNINGS By Robbie Sumner IN OCTOBER, 2005, my daughter Shaye was driving to school when she was smashed head-on by a vehicle driven by a woman attempting to pass several others on a blind hill. A witness recognized my daughter, phoned me, and within moments I was on the scene. When I saw the wreck I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. The top had been severed from Shaye's vehicle, a tangled mass of mangled metal. Not knowing if she were dead or alive, I squeezed into the crumpled car. Holding her tightly in my arms, I admonished her to fight, to not give up. Again and again I demanded that she hang on no matter what. She came to and started screaming. As I held her, It took police over an hour to cut the wreck apart so she could be extracted. To me it seemed like an eternity. Shaye's injuries were severe. Her legs were shattered, her feet and ankles crushed, her left shoulder and right hand were broken, and her jaw was smashed with many teeth missing. But Shaye always was a scrappy kid. Early on she said, “I wish this hadn't happened, but it did, so let's get on with it.” She set about her rehabilitation with fierce determination. Miraculously within a month she was able to come home. Still, life was difficult. She needed two operations, much physical therapy, many trips to various doctors. Getting about was a problem. My health insurance company, while good in many ways, provides handicap-equipped vans only to the permanently disabled. Shaye didn't qualify. Fortunately, I make my living fixing vehicles. I was able to convert a van for her. And once I acquired a power wheelchair, she was able to attend classes and graduate with her class. Seeing her get that diploma was one of the most joyous moments of my life. In the fall of 2006, Shaye enrolled at the University of Miami. Inspired by the excellent care she received at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, she decided to study nursing. The wonderful ladies at EMMC had provided her both care and love. They called her their miracle child. The outstanding hospital care she received along with her positive spirit and deep faith have made possible a complete recovery. As a college freshman, Shaye carried a four-point grade average. As time went by, Shaye and I spent many hours discussing and analyzing the things that made her incredible recovery possible. Eventually we began to wonder if our experiences might help others. Again and again we talked about how her van and power wheelchair provided her the mobility she needed to struggle towards normalcy. She was able to keep her medical appointments, visit friends, go to the movies, attend high school functions, and even go mall-hopping. She was able to be a regular kid. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find a way to help other rehabilitating youngsters with the mobility they need? Bit by bit, a vision of Shaye's Wheels4Kids took form. I began to see how I could make handicapped-equipped vans and power wheelchairs available FREE to kids in rehabilitation! I am far from wealthy, but I developed a plan to make this possible. |
WHERE WE STAND TODAY FOR MANY YEARS, I have dreamed of forming a company to manufacture custom-built golf carts. What better way to combine  a lifetime of professional experience in auto body work, a knack for original design, and a love for the game of golf?In the nearly two years since my daughter's terrible automobile accident, with a growing determination to establish Shaye's Wheels4Kids (a charitable organization providing handicapped-equipped vans and motorized wheelchairs to children in rehabilitation), my plans began to galvanize. I would form custom golf cart company, call it Karts4Kids, and make it a vehicle for helping to underwrite Shaye's Wheels4Kids. Here is how I will do that:  I pledge to contribute 50 percent of the profits from Karts4Kids to Wheels4Kids, and I will use the other 50 percent to build more Karts4Kids.This should jumpstart a non-profit organization that can raise additional non-taxable contributions from private individuals, other businesses, and charitable organizations. In this way I believe Shaye's Wheels4Kids will become a reality. We will give those kids the wheels they need! Robbie Sumner |
||||||||
HOW YOU CAN HELP • Send us an E-mail for our contact list; • Send contributions to Karts4Kids and/or Wheels4Kids to RR1, Box 291, Sullivan, ME 04664; • If you're a golfer interested in a unique, one-of-a-kind, custom-built golf cart, consider ordering it from us; • Volunteer your time and talent;  • Spread the word!CONTACT US Robbie Sumner Phone: 207/422-4765 ADMINISTRATION: Steve Jaeger Phone: 207/422-6460 |
|||||||||