Community stepping up in time of need
Efforts underway to help Yarmouth youth who has a condition that results in repeated broken bones
This time, he just slipped on the floor.
The majority of us might have been sore or stiff. But not Corbin.
His right femur broke in two places, in the middle of the bone, just above the knee. He now has a rod running the length of the femur.
It wasn’t a case of bad luck. And it wasn’t even a bad fall.
Broken bones have been the reality for Corbin Hogan his whole life.
He was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which is also known as brittle bone disease. People with this condition have bones that break or fracture easily, often from mild trauma and even with no apparent cause.
During his young life, Corbin, who turns 13 in May, has broken both arms, both femurs, four ribs, his right foot, his right shoulder and has had two fractured vertebrae.
And the sad thing is this isn’t a case of if another break will occur, but rather when.
He’s recovering now from his latest surgery that took place at the IWK.
For Yarmouth County residents Kellie Ann Perry and Kelton Nickerson, they couldn’t just stand by and see Corbin’s family struggle with expenses related to his care.
Perry and Nickerson have worked at Web.com with Corbin’s
Corbin Hogan at the IWK recovering from his latest broken bone.
dad Mike Power for four years. He’s a co-worker — and a dad — they have great respect and admiration for and so they have stepped up to help Corbin, his dad and mom Jackie Hogan.
They’ve launched a GoFundMe page — called Corbin Hogan Needs our Help — and hope to raise $10,000 for Corbin and his family, who, like many of us, struggle at times to make ends meet.
Even before all of the uncertainty with the COVID-19 situation and the impact it is having on the economy, came the uncertainty of working at Web.com, which announced in December it is closing its Yarmouth location this year.
The money raised will help the family, which doesn’t have a vehicle, cover accommodations that were associated with Corbin’s latest hospital stay, along with transportation expenses and other things Corbin will require during his recovery, as well as future treatments. Nickerson and Perry would also like to see enough money raised to help purchase a wheelchair for Corbin, so the family doesn’t have to rely on loaner wheelchairs from the Red Cross that aren’t really specific to Corbin’s needs. A wheelchair will also help to give Corbin some freedom, they say, when it comes to going places with his family.
Nickerson and Perry say the Yarmouth family are good people who just need some help from what they hope will be a willing and caring community.
“Mike never misses a day of work. He’s a No. 1-ranked employee on his team. He’s a stand-up employee,” says Nickerson. “They’re not a family who has ever taken advantage of anything. He’s never once asked for help. He deals with all of this in quiet.”
Power didn’t ask Nickerson and Perry to do this for his family, but he says he is grateful.
“It is very humbling to see the amount of support, not just from co-workers but from the communities around us,” Power says, adding his son has been doing well since his latest broken bone.
“We just want to do what we can to help him,” Perry says.
Beyond the GoFundMe page, if people want to help in other ways, or inquire about ways they can help, they can message Kellie Ann Perry through Facebook or by email at Kellieann.perry@gmail.com. Nickerson’s email is Kelton.nickerson@gmail.com.
There had been other fundraisers planned but the COVID19 situation has put those plans on hold. And while both Nickerson and Perry know these are challenging times for many, they still hope people will reach out to help this family.
Simply put, Nickerson says, “This kid needs a helping hand to make his life better.”