Above and Beyond: A story about teamwork leading to greater independence for a Pine-Richland student

Keury Da Mata had lots of new challenges as she went into 8th grade at Pine-Richland Middle School last August.

She wasn’t just new to the district – she and her family had recently arrived in the area from Brazil. On top of all the cultural and language differences, Keury, who has cerebral palsy, needed the right tools to get around.

Described as a hardworking, eager to learn and delightful young woman, Keury and her family came with hopes of a fair shot at success.

Her sports wheelchair posed a safety risk for bus transport to school as well as making her way around campus. “It became very apparent from the first visit that Keury didn’t have proper machinery,” said Pine-Richland Middle School Assistant Principal Jacob Minsinger.

Wanting to start off the new school year strong, Minsinger, Student Services and Special Education Director Noel Hustwit and Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) in-school physical therapist Judy Wagner took an all-hands-on-deck approach to get Keury what she needed to thrive.

Among its many services, the AIU provides occupational and physical therapy supports to districts including Pine-Richland, with experienced professionals like Wagner working directly in its buildings.

In a short period, Hustwit expedited additional services and training for paraprofessional staff to meet Keury’s needs, and sought assistance through Wagner for equipment from the AIU Special Education and Pupil Services division.

Wagner quickly got in touch with Holly McElhinny, the AIU Director of Occupational and Physical Therapy Services, for help scouring the AIU’s vast network, including its equipment and resource library, to locate compatible wheelchairs.

“I have very (much) more independence!”

Before long, McElhinny and Wagner were able to secure a manual wheelchair for Keury to safely and comfortably ride the school bus. The moment she first sat on the chair using its tilt-in-space feature, Keury exclaimed, “I'm in heaven!” The wheelchair was in pristine condition – only previously used for six months before being donated to the AIU-operated Sunrise School in Monroeville.

Soon after, Wagner was tipped off by a neighboring Pine-Richland parent of a separate power wheelchair, enabling Keury to quickly get around from classroom to classroom with greater freedom.

“I have very (much) more independence!” Keury said. She is now able to get many things on her own, including food, drink and personal belongings, as well as participate in sporting activities and games with her peers.

“Every person…went above and beyond,” McElhinny said, noting the mutual sense of urgency between the district and the AIU for this unique circumstance. “It was such a pulling together of effort.”

As for Keury, she’s learning how to better drive her power wheelchair more each day.

“God wanted for me to stay in this wheelchair,” Keury said, “but I know He has a plan for my life because otherwise I wouldn't have survived to be an inspiration to other people on this earth. I love to be an inspiration to people because just as they can learn from me, I can learn from them too.” Keury adds she would like to walk one day.

Keury’s keen on making new friends, and the power wheelchair acquired for her helps do just that. Wagner recently remarked on a recent physical education class she observed with Keury: “She was out on the basketball court with a different kind of ball to initiate an interaction with her peers shooting basketballs. It was a beautiful thing to watch.”

“So that’s what (the wheelchair) gives her.”