A Lorain County teen with cerebral palsy is not letting his disability stop his dreams of one day running his own farm.
Instead, it’s an inadequate wheelchair 17-year-old Austin Yaworsky said hinders him from living out that dream.
Yaworsky was born with spastic cerebral palsy. It’s a muscle condition that limits his mobility. he said the motorized wheelchair that was covered by the family insurance is ideal for strolling down a sidewalk, but not suited for tending the family farm.
Often, Austin’s 7-year-old brother Justin has to help him get unstuck.
“I struggle every day, but I get what I want done,” Yaworsky said. "I might end up falling and pushing this thing 20 times, but I’ll get it done by the end of the day.”
Yaworsky wants to buy what’s called a track chair. It has special wheels that allow the chair to go off-road and even stand up. But two different insurance companies, first Medical Mutual, and then Aetna told his father the $20,000 chair is not covered, even though Yaworsky’s more expensive chair is covered.
His parents, Angie and John, said it didn’t make sense to them.
“We’ve had doctors write letters,” John Yaworsky said. "We’ve had his therapist write letters and everything and they keep telling us it’s considered a recreational vehicle and not a wheelchair.”
Now, Austin is auctioning off his six-month-old hog Rosie at the Lorain County Fair on Saturday inside show barn 9. Market price for hogs is 52 cents per pound, meaning Rosie might only fetch just over $100. The Yaworksy’s are hoping for a more generous buyer.
They are also accepting donations through this online fundraiser and they have an account set up at Fifth Third Bank.
---
Follow Derick Waller on Facebook and Twitter
Download the newsnet5 app:
