×

New toys

Highland Park rehab gets donation from Gene Giraffe Project

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
Physical therapist Jayne Kolacia talks about the toys donated to Highland Park rehab through the Gene Giraffe Project. The toys are suitable for physical, occupational and speech therapy kids, she said, and will promote physical mobility as well as learning.

One thing kids are good at is play. Doing hard work? Maybe not.

That’s why when it comes time for kids to do the work of getting through physical therapy, pediatric therapists will try to make things fun.

The Highland Park Rehabilitation Center’s pediatric center now has a collection of brand-new toys and games thanks to a donation from the Gene Giraffe Project.

“These toys help our young patients feel more comfortable with therapy, which in turn, encourages their physical mobility and learning,” said Jayne Kolacia, physical therapist. “Through play and interaction with us, as their rehab team, we are able to achieve our patients’ goals in a positive way.”

The Gene Giraffe project donated $500 for Kolacia and the other staff to pick out whichever toys would be the most useful.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
Penelope Coleman examines the stuffed mermaid she picked out at Highland Park Rehab, from about 65 stuffed animals donated by the Gene Giraffe Project. Penny’s mother, Amy Coleman, said the rehab center was excellent when Penny was coming here for physical therapy, and inspired her to recommend a donation from Gene Giraffe to the center.

“We focused on the 0 to 5 age range,” said Kolacia. “We picked out toys that would benefit all three therapies here, physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

“We got toys that would promote physical mobility as well as learning ability.”

The Highland Park Center was a familiar place for Penelope Coleman, who has just started kindergarten this year. She attended the center very early in life after her family moved to the Fort Dodge region.

Her mother, Amy Coleman, is on the Gene Giraffe board, and when the board started looking for a place to donate to, Highland Park seemed like an obvious choice to her.

“I think they’re probably a place that gets overlooked when it comes to donations, but they do see a lot of pediatric patients,” Coleman said. “My daughter actually got physical therapy there from Jayne, and Jayne was just fabulous. Absolutely amazing.”

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
Amy Coleman talks with her daughter, Penelope, who picked out this stuffed mermaid at Highland Park Rehab center. Penelope liked the mermaid because the tail is rainbow and sparkly. Coleman asked the Gene Giraffe Project to donate to this office after she and Penny received excellent service there.

Penny was born in Des Moines, and had a pretty expansive medical history, Amy Coleman said.

“We went to physical therapy at Blank in Des Moines for the first year or so of her life. Then we moved back to Fort Dodge when she was 18 months old,” she said.

Although they traveled to Des Moines for a while after moving, that was a lot of driving, Coleman said. Then they realized Highland Park offers physical therapy for children.

“It was wonderful to be able to receive those services here in town, where we’re now living,” she said. “We were very happy with the therapy she received.”

In addition to the toys, Gene Giraffe also donated about 65 stuffed bears, giraffes, and unicorns in honor of Rare Disease Day, which was the last day in February.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
Above and beyond the toys purchased with funds donated by the Gene Giraffe Project, Highland Park Rehabilitation also has about 65 stuffed bears, unicorns, and even this sloth to give out to draw awareness to Rare Disease Day.

The project has donated bears to the UnityPoint Health — Pediatrics clinic for the past few years, and this year has branched out.

Not only has this been a success in spreading the word about rare diseases and about Gene Giraffe, it makes kids and parents happy, Kolacia said.

“We have been giving these stuffed animals to our patients since the day we received them, and they are bringing many smiles to patients and parents alike,” she said. ”The committee of the Gene Giraffe Project should feel very proud of the work they are doing for the children of this community and region.”

Gene Giraffe is branching out, looking for more places to donate to, Coleman said.

Coleman herself became part of the project after she received a care package in the mail, when founder Doug Passow learned that her child was in rehab.

“We got home from the hospital, and there was a box on our doorstep, with a stuffed giraffe, a T-shirt, and some other things,” Coleman said. “It just brightened our day.

“When we moved back, we wanted to get involved.”

Gene Giraffe is planning its second annual fun run this year, with a tentative date in September. The group may also put on a golf tournament for the first time, Coleman said.

About the Gene Giraffe Project

The Gene Giraffe Project was formed by Doug Passow, whose niece, Ava Passow, died of a rare disease, to raise awareness, advance cures through research, and raise funds for families and children with rare and inherited diseases. It also offers financial assistance to families.

• Diseases are considered “rare” in the US if the disease infects less than 200,000 people.

• There are around 7,000 rare diseases with new ones being discovered every day.

• More than 30 million Americans are affected by a rare disease, about 1 in 10 Americans.

• Children are hit particularly hard, accounting for 50 percent of those with a rare disease

• Rare diseases account for 35 percent of deaths in children’s first year of life.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today