Plenty of people do plenty of things to make a difference for plenty of folks. It’s quite remarkable to see what some people manage to come up with. This story is about a special little girl and how her family did something amazing to help her.
Isabella Shorr is an adorable toddler who turns two in June.
Isabella was born with Spina Bifida and was unable to get around much. Jeffrey Shorr said his little girl was really stuck just sitting in one place. Then something amazing happened. Right around her first birthday, Jeffrey’s aunt and uncle built little Isabella a special type of wheel chair. They made it out of a bumbo seat – (which is a little chair for babies) and wheels. Â Jeffrey says Isabella quickly learned how to wheel it, and was finally able to interact with her siblings and other children.
But, her dad says there was much more to this incredible chair, “We saw improvements in her hand eye coordination, her mood seemed to improve, and she was just all around happier. The chair gave her and us a sense of normalcy, if there is such a thing.”
They’ve seen the incredible results and now they’re all working to help other children. Rebecca Parzynski, Jeffrey’s aunt who helped make the chair, says watching little Isabella move around was a gift and they just knew they had to help other children, “After seeing the freedom and joy it gave her, we decided we could make more to pass along.” Rebecca collects the materials and her husband, Martin builds the chairs.
They’ve started a Facebook page called Bella’s Bumbas where they get the word out about what supplies they need and how to sign up for a specialized chair. They’ve delivered several chairs already and have 11 more in the works. How cool are they?!
Rebecca says it is a process, “It takes my husband approximately 1/2 a day to make one chair. We totally rely on others to donate the parts we need to make the chairs, minus a few odds and ends we have to purchase, Â like nuts , bolts, Â castors, etc., but even that cost is minimal out of our pockets to see the joy of mobility the children get from our chairs.”
The only thing they ask of the families who order a chair is that they pay the shipping charges.
Right now they need Bumbo chairs and 12 inch tires. You can check out their Facebook page for more information on exact needs.
As for Rebecca, she says it is a true gift to give back, “It means we get a little joy and great pleasure seeing children get to play and interact with other children and family.”
It all started with an adorable little Buffalo girl, who is a real pro at getting around in that amazing chair. Jeffrey says that chair has been a blessing,”Even though Bella is now learning to walk, she still regularly uses her chair since insurance will only cover one every 5 years and with her size a chair won’t last that long. We just love the freedom it gives her!”
What an amazing thing these retired grandparents are doing.  If you can help, please do! The Parzynskis live in Webster and collect items in that area and Jeffrey and his family live in Buffalo and collect items here.
Drop off locations in Buffalo area :
Northtowns:
Rolly Pollies of East Amherst
9630 Transit Road
East Amherst, NY 14051
Phone: 716-689-6151
Southtowns:
Rolly Pollies of Orchard Park
4058 North Buffalo Road
Orchard Park, NY 14127
Phone: 716-662-7424
Catalyst:
770 Wehrle Drive Williamsville 14221
Wow – what a great solution!! These people are angels!
Thank you for sharing Mary – we’ve missed you.
Thank you! These folks are amazing, aren’t they!? 🙂
Thank you for such a great article !!! The green Bella’s Bumba’s in picture above is custom for a the child, as she requires full time oxygen, and the little basket will hold her portable oxygen so she can “roll” with no fear of tangled lines
Has the family considered taking the project to The Shark Tank?
This could help thousands of children. I wish the family the best of all they deserve!