Ready to Walk N Roll? Event to raise awareness of spina bifida

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, October 8, 2020

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Lincoln Moore, 3, can walk a little with a brace and a walker, or by grabbing hold of furniture or his parents’ hands. But his parents, Steven Moore and Amie Moore, hope he’ll be able to walk with them to raise awareness of the challenges he and other special kids like him encounter.

Amie and Steven are organizing the first Walk N Roll for Spina Bifida walk in Clark County on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Campbell Junior High School’s track on Boone Avenue.

“He’ll be with us,” Steven said. “Hopefully, he’ll walk in his walker … but sometimes he just likes to hold our hands and walk. Whatever the little guy wants to do is probably what we’ll get … and if we have to pick him up” and carry him, that’s OK.

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Lincoln has the most severe form of spina bifida, a birth defect in which there is an incomplete closing of the spine and membranes around the spinal cord during early pregnancy. It has affected his ability to walk and talk, his bowel and bladder, causes fluid on his brain and makes him susceptible to epileptic seizures.

The condition affects between 1,500 and 2,000 children born each year in the U.S.

“Prior to Lincoln getting spina bifida, I had no idea what it was. I had never heard of it,” the boy’s father said.

Neither have many other people, or if they’ve heard the term, most don’t know what it is.

“And the crazy thing is, it’s the most common birth defect in America, … but there’s still a lot not known about it among most people,” Steven said.

The Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky normally hosts walks in Bowling Green, Louisville and Lexington to raise awareness and money for the association, but because of COVID-19, this year is going to be a mostly virtual event. People can walk wherever they want, take part in limited walk-throughs in those three big cities or just participate in spirit and donate online.

But Amie and Steven wanted to hold an actual walk at the local school track in Winchester to allow people to show their support.

“We just want to continue to raise awareness even though it’s not going to be the way it was in the past,” Steven said.

They also hope to raise money for the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky to help families pay for things like wheelchairs and medical procedures.

Steven said people can participate however they want.

“We can make it virtual, but if they want to come Oct. 24 … they’re welcome to walk a lap or two or whatever they feel led to do,” he said. “We will be streaming it live from Facebook.”

There will be social distancing among the groups of outdoor walkers, he said.

Lincoln’s dad said he would like to get at least 20 to 25 people participate in the Winchester event, and “as far as the money goes, anything counts.”

People can donate to the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky at spinabifidakentucky.org or donate to the Moores, and they’ll make sure it gets to the association.

There is a Walk N Roll for Spina Bifida Facebook page sponsored by Amie Miller Moore.

About Randy Patrick

Randy Patrick is a reporter for Bluegrass Newsmedia, which includes The Jessamine Journal. He may be reached at 859-759-0015 or by email at randy.patrick@bluegrassnewsmedia.com.

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