Regina twins living with cerebral palsy were gifted a custom ride on toy Jeep, thanks to local startup, Sask Masks.
Sask Masks is an initiative kick started by two University of Regina students, aimed at providing Regina residents with masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization donated money to Variety-the Children’s Charity “Go Baby Go Program”, who provided modified ride on battery operated toy cars to children living with disabilities.
Four-year-old twins Mila and Bella Winkler received their bright pink toy Jeep Friday morning.
Their mother, Jaime Winkler, says the donation means a lot to her family.
“We’re just over the moon, as a family, we couldn’t be more excited,” said Winkler. “For the little ones to have such an awesome vehicle adapted specifically for them, to enable Mila to play without issue, and just know that we’ll be able to adapt that into our therapies, and into our play, and just our everyday anything, really means an awful lot to us. We really appreciate it.”
The Jeep is entirely controlled through the steering wheel, requiring minimal leg movement, which Winkler says is the twins’ biggest challenge.
She adds that the new toy Jeep is one less thing the family has to worry about.
“It’s really helped them, they go through a lot, they have a lot of pain and issues with their cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus,” said Winkler. “This is just one of those things that we don’t have to be worried about, it’s not a therapy, it’s not a day of doctor visits or anything like that. It’s all about just celebrating our abilities today.”
Robyn and Jana Ham, founders of Sask Masks, say that it feels amazing to see their hard work come full circle.
“It fills the heart,” said Jana Ham. “We put a lot of work into Sask Masks, we work on it every day, but to see our impact play out today is very rewarding, and definitely motivates us to keep going.”
SaskMasks was formed in March of 2020, and by May had created more than 3,000 masks and as part of its charitable donation platform, raised more than $30,000 for various charities in Regina.
