By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer

Joey Shortsleeves doesn’t like to sit still.
He prefers to be surrounded by friends at school, riding his bike around the neighborhood or going on trips with the Boy Scouts. Though confined to a wheelchair most of the time, Joey’s mother, Erica Herring, said he never seems happy to be doing nothing.
Joey, a 9-year-old fourth grader from Biddeford, will receive a new walker this month that Herring said will increase his mobility and help stretch his leg muscles.
Joey was born with microlissencephaly, a syndrome characterized by a small head and smooth brain. Herring said her son’s brain is 75 percent smooth and he is developmentally delayed in all areas. He has had many surgeries, including one last year on his hamstring muscles.
Herring, a single mother raising Joey and his older sister on a limited income, said she could not afford to spend the estimated $5,000 needed to outfit her son with a new orthopedic walker. He outgrew his previous walker about a year ago and his insurance said a new one is not medically necessary, she said.
Herring said city officials heard of her family’s need and stepped in to buy the walker and pay for the several appointments needed to fit him for the device.
Vicky Edgerly, Biddeford’s general assistance administrator, said she cannot confirm if the city paid for the walker because of privacy concerns. She said the city manages the Cartmill Trust, which began several years ago with money donated by Clayton and Virginia Cartmill.
Edgerly said the Cartmills lived in Biddeford and “cared greatly for the community.” They had one child, Barry, who was born with disabilities. After his parents died, Barry Cartmill inherited their estate, which, after his death, went to the city. The money is used for families who are in need but don’t qualify for other assistance, she said.
“The families who are assisted through this account are primarily working people who are facing some type of crisis in their lives due to circumstances beyond their control,” Edgerly said, noting the fund has been used to buy medical equipment in the past.
Herring said she is grateful to the city for providing Joey the opportunity to get the walker. She said the walker will improve the quality of Joey’s life by allowing him increased mobility and more opportunities to interact with his friends and family.

Right now, Joey spends most of his time in his wheelchair. Sometimes he’ll sit propped up in the corner of the couch or lay on the floor to play, Herring said. Joey can sit up on his own for a minute to a minute and a half at a time and uses a treadmill during physical therapy.
“I feel he needs [the walker] because he needs to stretch his muscles,” she said. “He needs to be able to stand up straight and walk.”
Since outgrowing a walker last year, Joey has developed respiratory issues his mother said she thinks are connected to his decrease in mobility. He has had walking pneumonia twice in the past year and also has seizures on a regular basis, she said.
While Herring is concerned about her son’s medical issues, she is also worried not having a walker makes it more difficult for him to play with his friends. It is hard for Joey to play while on the floor or couch because he can’t move around or see what’s going on, she said.
On a recent afternoon, Herring carried Joey out  their first floor apartment to his three-wheeled bicycle. Joey smiled and watched passing cars as his mom strapped his feet to the pedals and placed his hands around the handles.
And then he was ready to go.
A group of neighborhood kids crowded around Joey as his bike moved slowly across the parking lot. He smiled brightly as neighbors waved and called his name, complimenting his bike and riding ability. He broke into an even wider smile when his sister Nicole, 11, balanced her skateboard on his handlebars and helped him pop a wheelie.
Nicole, an avid skateboarder and break dancer, said she is proud that her brother can say 10 words and several are to call her.
“He said ‘Nicole’ three times last year,” she said while steering Joey’s bike in a circle.
Herring said Joey’s favorite activities are ones where he is surrounded by friends. He loves going to school, where he is in special education and regular classrooms, and attends Boy Scouts every Tuesday with other boys from the neighborhood.
“He just loves it. Whatever the Boy Scouts do, he does,” she said. “He doesn’t like to be bored. If you keep him busy, he’s fine.”
Herring said Joey loved going to camp by himself this summer. He spent a week at the Pine Tree Camp, where he went bass fishing and reeled in a turtle. He was also able to spend a night sleeping in a tent in the woods.
Herring would like to further expand her son’s experiences by bringing him to a national medical conference in Arizona for families dealing with similar syndromes next year. There, Joey will meet other children with medical issues while Herring goes to seminars on different topics. She said there are also events for siblings that would be fun and educational for Nicole.
To help cover the cost of the trip, friends of the family have placed donation buckets at various downtown businesses. Each canister features a photo of Joey smiling widely. Herring said she would  also like to host several fundraising dances this winter – not only to raise money, but also to celebrate her son’s love of music.

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.