BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The community is coming together in support of a brave 9-year-old girl who is about to embark on a journey many take for granted, attending school for the very first time.
Samantha Gray, lovingly known as Sam, has faced more challenges in her young life than most do in a lifetime.
She was born with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, is profoundly deaf, legally blind, non-mobile, and non-verbal. She also lives with epilepsy and requires a feeding tube. Despite these obstacles, Sam's spirit is as bright as ever.
“She is just a spitfire,” said her mother, Brandi Hurtibise. “She is always happy, she’s incredibly goofy, and she loves the wind.”
For Hurtibise, parenting has come with many challenges and with Sam’s complex medical needs, those challenges are even greater.
Sam was born with congenital cytomegalovirus, as a result, she faces a number of lifelong conditions that make daily life more complicated.
But that hasn’t stopped Sam from enjoying life. “She loves going to the beach, to the park, she even takes dance classes and goes horseback riding,” Hurtibise said.
This summer marks a major milestone as Sam will be attending school for the very first time.
“I’ve kept her home for a long time,” Hurtibise said. “She doesn’t handle illnesses well, and she’s needed several surgeries. She recently had her last hip surgery, and it finally feels like the right time to try.”
But, this exciting step comes with new hurdles, as Sam grows, getting her in and out of their vehicle has become increasingly difficult. Hurtibise said, every trip requires her to lift Sam from her wheelchair, take the chair apart, and maneuver her into a car seat, a physically demanding and often painful process.
“It takes time and it hurts my body,” Hurtubise said. “My back hurts, my hip hurts, my neck hurts. I’ve fallen with Sam twice, thankfully, only I was hurt. But at some point, it could be the other way around.”
Hurtibise said an adaptive vehicle would make a big difference, one that would allow Sam to roll safely into the car in her wheelchair, without needing to transfer or disassemble anything.
But adaptive vehicles are expensive, and like many families facing medical costs, Hurtibise can’t do it alone.
That’s why she’s turning to her community for support, starting a GoFundMecampaign to raise funds for the accessible van that could drastically improve both of their lives.
“Sam is who makes me strong,” Hurtubise said. “You can’t be sad around Sam. She’s gone through so much and does it all with a smile.”
