In a message dated 9/15/00 11:54:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<  I have a child with CP (spastic triplegia) who is 4 1/2 years old, and is
 getting tall and heavy.  Things are changing for us.  He usually uses the
 walls to stay up while walking in our home  (doesn't want to use his walker).
  Outside while playing he uses his walker, and when we're on a leisurely
 shopping expedition, we take the walker.  Up until lately, I've been able to
 put him in a double stroller (with our 15 mo. old) or into a grocery shopping
 cart.  But he's not fitting any more.    If we go out with  his walker, I can
 count on going about 4 feet per minute.  It's not that he can't walk,
 although he does get tired after a while (20 -30 minutes or so).  It's that
>>
Denise,
    You need a small adult wheelchair as he will quickly outgrow the
pediatric wheelchair and insurance only likes to buy one per lifetime it
seems. We were in a similiar situation with our son when he was 6 and not
fitting in the stroller any longer. At first insurance refused to buy him a
w/c because he is an independent walker, but Hershey Medical Center has an
excellent employee who writes up why a person needs a certain type of
mobility to aid in their quality of life. So insurance paid and it was
literally a back saver for us because of his fatigue issues we had resorted
to carrying him everywhere.We still use the w/c on occasion however his
walking has improved so much since surgery with Dr. Nuzzo that we only pull
out for the fair when he is trying to earn a boyscout badge and has to go
from one end of the fair to the other in a certain time span or the zoo. He
still tires but it takes a lot longer and he isn't quite as slow walking as
he used to be.  Anyways insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery but it was
well worth the money spendt.     Cindy