February 28th is recognized around the world as Rare Disease Awareness Day. To help bring light to this cause, a local woman is donating adaptive swings to help local therapy groups. 

Penny Brunner is the founder of Smiles for Miles, a non profit working to raise awareness about rare genetic diseases. She was inspired to launch Smiles for Miles, after her grandson, Miles, was born with NKHJ, also known as Glycine Encephalopathy. As a result of his disease, Miles also has Cortical Visual Blindness.

One of Miles’ favorite activities is swinging. Brunner says it’s a wonder sensation for him to experience, and after seeing the joy it brought her grandson, she knew she wanted to pass that joy along. 

“I’ve worked with the Blind Association and not only that, but from personal experience, seeing my grandson swing, it is the most wonderful experience. He is just is so happy and loves the sensation and freedom of swinging,” Brunner said. 

Currently, she is raising money to provide adaptive swings for local therapist, like Marcia Cumming, who works at Kids First in Blair County. 

“The reason why this is a nice piece of adaptive equipment is that it has a firm back, it has decreased head control. If I have a child with decreased trunk control, if they struggle to hold their head up, there are supports in the swing that will allow them to do that. There are straps that allow the child to be secure when they are swinging, so they can safely enjoy the benefits of swinging,” Cumming explained. 

Each swing cost a couple hundred dollars. Brunner and her husband have funded a few swings on their own, but they hope to get more adaptive swings in local parks, so families can enjoy them as well. 

Kelly Popich,with Blair County Early Intervention, thinks the swings will be beneficial for children with developmental delays. 

“A child that might be able to swing next to their brother or sister would be pretty awesome,” she said. 

While Blair County Early Intervention does not directly benefit from The Smiles for Miles Swing Project, Popich stressed the importance of Brunner’s actions to raise awareness for early intervention. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development, you can contact North Star Services, which works directly with Blair County Early Intervention.

To donate to the Smiles for Miles Swing Project, click here.