photos by Helen R. Hammond

Pattinson's Academy co-founder Kimberly Wilson-Kascak is shown in the pool with Michael Lewis (4) and Charlotte Jenkins (3).

photos by Helen R. Hammond

P.J. (Pattison Julia) Sloat, for whom Pattison's Academy is named, is shown enjoying camp. The four founders Pamela Loudon Sloat, Kimberly Wilson-Kascak, Cindy Dodds and Debbie Lamb founded Pattison's Academy to help children like Pattison. The goal was to start a camp and later open a school.

photos by Helen R. Hammond

Five-year-old Andrew Wright is shown with part-time Pattison's camp LPN Centrea Harper. Harper is shown putting shaving cream on wright to enhance his sensory skills pn the slip n' slide.

photos by Helen R. Hammond

Eleven-year-old Luke McCurry types his birthday, March 9, on his communication device as occupational therapist assistant Allan Myers-Davis looks on.

photos by Helen R. Hammond

Teacher's assistant Nikki Rucker is shown with 11-year-old Vanilla Heyward. Rucker said Vanilla is a joy and they are lucky to have her at camp.

photos by Helen R. Hammond

The statistics say that there are almost 4,000 children in the Lowcountry between the ages of one month and 15 years who have a severe disability. Pattison's Academy offers individualized programs of therapy and early education to children with severe, multiple handicaps.

For the past five years, the non-profit organization has held a summer camp for these special children.

"It's not about life going on around them, it is about them being an active participant in those activities," said executive director Sloan Todd Cooper.

According to Cooper, there are all kinds of creative ways to make sure that these children are involved and not just on the perimiter.

"In the morning, we come and take role and there is a button to push for those who cannot say that they are here," Cooper said.

The camp provides many hands-on activities, as well as provides the use of equipment that is there especially for stimulation. Trained staff members are on hand to assist with campers.

The cost is $150 a week for the camp, but there are a lot of campers who cannot pay.

"It is all about reducing family stress," Cooper said.

On a sunny day, there is plenty of action at the camp located at the new facility at Rutledge Memorial Baptist Church in West Ashley on Bees Ferry Road.

The new charter school will open up to 32 children in August.

Cooper said, "It scares me that people think that we are okay because we are a charter school."

Yes, the organization gets federal, state and local dollars; however, there is a gap of about $7,500 per child.

"We still have to provide facility costs such as for utility, transportation, supplies, janitorial and all those little things that go in between running any kind of school," Cooper said, explaining that these things fall under the scope of a public school where they are usually provided.

But campers and students alike are greatly benefitting from this organization.

Testimony

Eleven-year-old Vanilla Heyward lives with her grandmother, Gene, in Mount Pleasant. She cannot speak, she cannot walk, but her grandmother says that she reaches for her stuffed animals and can smile and even laugh. She is cognitively delayed but when her grandmother talks to her, her eyes fall on her.

She is very loved and has pet names of "Boogie," "Muck Muck" and "Vanilla Bean."

She has a gastric feeding tube, but her grandmother likes to give her a little bit of watermelon juice thorgh a syringe so that she can taste things.

Vanilla takes nutrients and sleeps on a hospital bed with a mattress that moves to prevent her from getting bed sores. She has to get her diaper changed multiple times of day and last August she had a spinal fusion.

With two rods supporting her, her grandmother said that Vanilla is breathing better -- much better than she was when she was in the ICU every month up until the age of 2 for breathing issues. Vanilla has been attending Cario Middle School but will be attending Pattison's Academy School in the fall.

This is Vanilla's third year at the camp.

Her grandmother said that when school ended, Vanilla became sad but when she started going to camp, her whole expression changed.

There is a van service that comes and takes Vanilla to and from camp.

Her grandmother has a peace of mind that her granddaughter is well-taken care of; she can also run her errands.

Heyward said that she thinks of Vanilla as a blessing and prays that she will be strong for her granddaughter.

School opening

The school officially opens on August 18.

There will be a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 24. Educational advocate and celebrity Darius Rucker will be cutting the ribbon.

The public is encouraged to take a tour of the school -- a school that is giving new opportunities to those who need it.

Visit www.pattisonsacademy.org for more information.

(Helen R. Hammond can be reached at helen@moultrienews.com.)