Generous supporters of Columban missionary, Fr Oliver McCrossan, have stepped up to the plate and donated the money needed to provide Felmar Tano, who has cerebral palsy, with a much needed IPad.
Recently, Virgenia O. Vidad, who runs the ‘Pedalling to Live’ project in the Philippines which was set up by Fr McCrossan to help some of the most disadvantaged, related to www.columbans.ie how the project has been helping Felmar to continue his education despite the many difficulties for the young wheelchair-bound student.
Virgenia O. Vidad explained how in 2010 she talked to Felmar’s mother Elma as well as teachers about transferring Felmar to a regular school so that he could be graded and finish his elementary schooling.
The idea was given the green light and Felmar was enrolled at Baybay Elementary School.
Felmar is now in his Grade 4 and trying to cope with his daily lessons but the stiffness in his arms, due to cerebral palsy, means a lot of writing is just not possible for him.
Felmar has never considered his disability a barrier to education. His dream is to finish college.
Every day his mother pushes his wheelchair from home to school – there and back. Felmar has a customised wheelchair from Wheelchair for Education in Australia.
An IPad would enable him to complete his lessons, homework and exams with less stress to his arms.
But his parents could not afford to buy an IPad.
Now thanks to Columban supporters, Felmar now has that much needed IPad.
“It offers Felmar many exciting possibilities for learning. He can use it for his school work. I was told that his teachers can email him lesson plans and he can do his homework on it,” Fr McCrossan told www.columbans.ie
He added, “Felmar is very bright; he wants to learn and the IPad offers him many opportunities in this regard. He will be able to communicate with his friends as well.”
Support Columban projects by donating online here: https://columbans.ie/donate/ You can send a donation by post to: Missionary Society of St Columban, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath, C15 AY2Y. Telephone: 00353 46 9021525.