Joplin Kiwanians continue mission of support – Joplin Globe

WEBB CITY, Mo. Christy Graham's son was born deaf and blind with cerebral palsy, and his brain was in a constant state of seizure.

He was eventually enrolled at the Cerebral Palsy Center of Tri-County in Webb City, where speech was among the many therapies and services he received. He never spoke, but his teachers were able to work with and improve his mouth functions, his mother said.

"We were blessed because I don't know what we would have done without it," she said.

Graham is now the executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Center, which on Tuesday received a $6,000 donation from the Joplin Kiwanis Club for speech therapy and services. She said that amount will also help pay for transportation of pupils to and from the center, 1401 W. Austin St.

The funds were raised primarily through the Kiwanis Club's annual golf tournament, said Jim Zerkel, president of the Joplin club.

"Our mission is to help children," he said. "We do most everything here locally. We all think (the Cerebral Palsy Center) does outstanding work over here."

The Joplin Kiwanis Club has a long relationship with the center, which works with local children who have developmental delays or who are medically fragile. It offers early intervention strategies and developmental, speech, language, physical and occupational therapies to children from 6 months to 6 years.

Kiwanis members estimate that they have donated more than $400,000 in support of the center over the past 50 years.

Robert Higgins, a 53-year member of the club, said the Cerebral Palsy Center began as a community effort to provide for the children in the area. The Kiwanis Club, many years ago, helped pay for the organization's first speech therapist, and that support has continued since, he said.

"It takes care of a need, and I'm proud of them," he said. "This grew from a grassroots concept to what it is today, and today it is really part of our society."

The center is licensed to care for 66 children at a time. More than 40 are currently enrolled, and 23 of them some of whom are entirely non-verbal attend some type of speech therapy, which can include speech, language and non-speaking movements of the mouth, Graham said.

"Today's donation will mean that children get those services here," she said.

One 3-year-old who is a particular success story for the center enrolled about a year ago unable to do anything except lie on the floor. In terms of speech, he made no sounds, not even babbling, Graham said.

"Now he has words, and he was telling me bye," she said.

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Joplin Kiwanians continue mission of support - Joplin Globe