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Kind gesture makes a difference for children with special needs

Published:Monday | May 30, 2022 | 12:40 AM
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From left: Davion Scott, logistic supervisor, HNM Couriers; Amoy Patterson, administrative assistant, HNM; Donovan James, husband of Ruthlyn James (right), director, Adonijah Group of Schools; Chantasia Afflick, customer service representative, HNM; Alexs
Contributed
From left: Davion Scott, logistic supervisor, HNM Couriers; Amoy Patterson, administrative assistant, HNM; Donovan James, husband of Ruthlyn James (right), director, Adonijah Group of Schools; Chantasia Afflick, customer service representative, HNM; Alexsis Williams, general manager, HNM; and Herbert McNeil, director, HNM. The group paused for a photo following the installation of a water heater at the Waltham Park Road-based special-needs school to assist it with providing water therapy for its students.
The water heater donated and installed at the Adonijah Group of Schools on Waltham Park Road in St Andrew by HNM Couriers.
Contributed
The water heater donated and installed at the Adonijah Group of Schools on Waltham Park Road in St Andrew by HNM Couriers.
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A simple gift of a water heater will go a long way for the children and staff at the Adonijah Group of Schools on Waltham Park Road in St Andrew.

Aquatic therapy is an important means of soothing, healing and even communicating with some of the children Adonijah carefully nurtures. Adonijah’s 50 children have a range of special needs that span autism to Down’s syndrome, but with the right intervention and support, they can live productive lives and contribute positively to the society.

“It (aquatic therapy) helps, especially with our autistic children,” explained Ruthlyn James, director of the Waltham Park Road-based institution. “The therapy assists with the children’s sensory processing skills and with their physical and social skills development.”

In 2018, the school received a Jacuzzi from the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights to assist with its therapeutic initiative, James revealed, but without a heating system to achieve the desired effect, teachers and therapists had to heat water to provide the warm pool needed to stimulate the active children.

However, on Labour Day this year, in another Santa-like act of kindness, Adonijah received another gift on its wish list.

“It was a customer who suggested that we assist,” said Herbert McNeil, director, HNM Couriers located in Kingston. “And so, on Labour Day, our initiative was to support a school in need, because I strongly believe children are our greatest treasure. Given that May is also Child Month, we believed supporting our children with special needs was the right thing to do.”

After learning about the manual process that had to be undertaken daily to provide the children with a warm pool of water for their therapy sessions, the company donated a water heater to ease the burden.

“She (James) explained how the aquatic therapy sessions would increase blood circulation and relax the muscles, while at the same time alleviate pain for the children. And so, we did not only donate the water heater on Labour Day, our team installed it, and provided assistance with other activities on the compound,” McNeil said.

It was a gesture greatly appreciated by the school’s director.

“This is a gift that will definitely make a difference,” a pleased James said of the gesture by the HNM team. “We are truly grateful for it, and we welcome the partnership to support our students.”

“This is a partnership that we hope to maintain,” McNeil declared, “so that we can support the school and the students to develop,”pointing to other needs identified at the school.

“We may be a small, developing company, but it’s important for us to give back as we grow, and our children should be the recipients of any support we can provide,” he said.