Last week, I was in a Poulsbo hardware store trying to figure out a way to adapt the handle bars on a preschool size walker for a little boy who has cerebral palsy.

When I was talking to the clerk and showing him the walker, a man behind me was staring and listening intently with a thoughtful look on his face. He chimed up cheerfully and said that he thought he could help me out and could I bring the walker out to his truck. As it turned out, he is a licensed plumber and had his big work van outside and proceeded to jump in and rummage through his stock.

He didn’t have the part he needed, so he asked me to wait just one minute and he literally sprinted into the store and came out with some white plastic parts in his hand. He slid the T tubes over the handle bars, pulled a long length of 1-inch pipe from his truck and cut it to fit in between the T connectors. After gluing them in place, I had a nice, sturdy horizontal bar that my little patient could hold onto comfortably as he used his tiny walker.

After a heartfelt thank you from me and a quick exchange of business cards, we both went on our way. He never asked for money for the parts and I know he was a little late to his job so I’d like to again thank Edwin S.N. San Gil, who owns a plumbing business in Silverdale, for going above and beyond to help out a very special 2-year-old boy named Anthony.

Barb Ellis-Danford, PT
Suquamish