Unique tricycle helps boy feel normal

Author: Greg Copeland

Published On: 08/10/2018

Looking at 9-year-old AJ Stasio, you probably wouldn't notice.

"I want him to be a normal kid," his mother Meredith said.

It was almost five years ago that AJ began having vision problems. A trip to the doctor came with bad news. AJ had what's called neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic nerve disorder. Benign tumors wrapped themselves around his optic nerves, making him legally blind in both eyes.

It also affects his fine motor skills, causing him to have balance issues.

Summer activity has been challenging.

"It was kinda hard. My brother would help me by getting up and pushing me," AJ said.

He couldn't keep up with the other kids. But his mother heard about adult tricycles and thought it would be just what AJ needed to provide him mobility and a sense of normalcy.

She posted on a community Facebook page asking for fundraising advice. What she got instead was a gift.

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