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Paralyzed
student gets new home
Area builders are donating
time and materials to the family of Paul Salter
July 10, 2000 - Sarasota
Herald-Tribune - Keramet A. Reiter
Construction is under way on a wheelchair-accessible, specially designed
home for Paul Salter, the Sarasota Middle School student who
was paralyzed after he was tackled during a football practice last fall.
The
Salters' old home has been razed, and the family is living in a
nearby rental home until Sarasota-area builders, who are donating their
time and materials, complete the new house. Paul's father, Glenn,
said the family was simply concentrating on "doing what you do every
day," and having Paul home has been "a lot smoother than
I really thought it was going to be."
After seven months in the hospital, Paul was released from
HealthSouth Rehabilitative Center on May 20, one day before his 14th
birthday. He is paralyzed below the shoulders.
Though Paul has faced some challenges at home with new caregivers
and suppliers, his spirits are good, according to his HealthSouth
therapist, Shelley Rayburn.
"His favorite thing to do is play poker. Last I heard, one of his
nurses owed him $20,000," Rayburn said. Despite frustrations
with Paul's electric wheelchair breaking down repeatedly, his
father said, "It's pretty much falling into a routine."
Paul
now undergoes therapy five hours a day, five days a week, in addition to
the homebound education that will allow him to attend Riverview High
School in the fall. The School Board plans to hire a nurse to go to
school with him, with the nurse taking notes.
Rayburn said Paul still needs to use a ventilator at night to help
him breathe. "Now that he doesn't have the ventilator on, it
enables him to have a pretty much normal tone of voice. And he uses it
quite well, especially if you do something that displeases him,"
Rayburn said.
In addition, a computer recently donated to the family allows Paul
to type through dictation, and Rayburn said the "next thing we've got
to do is find some computer games."
Rayburn said she is concentrating on occupational therapy activities,
including using a mouth stick to turn pages and pliers that will
eventually help him write, all of which will "give him
independence."
Meanwhile, Paul's family is eagerly awaiting the construction of
their new home, which will allow them all more independence and make
caring for Paul easier.
Glenn Salter himself will install the plumbing in the new house.
John King of Rampart Homes, who is managing the construction project, was
unavailable for comment. Polly Costa of the Home Builders
Association of Sarasota County said the builders are seeking "fill
dirt, lots of fill dirt," in addition to monetary contributions.
Costa said, "I know we've gotten a whole lot of contributions from
membership and public at large, cash, material, labor donations."
All
contributions will be recognized at the ribbon-cutting ceremony when the
house is completed and the keys turned over to Paul and his family
later this year.
All
content © 2000 Herald-Tribune Corp. and may not be republished without
permission.
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