No Small Feats of Courage, about the Kids Wish Heroes at John Heinz Rehab. -Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, January 27, 2010

By Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – If courage makes a hero, Nicky McAdarra and Zachary Vasholz earned the honor for triumphing over great odds in a short time.

Front row, from left: January Hero Zachary Vasholz, 5, of Nanticoke, Hero Program Coordinator Donna Diltz, December Hero Nicholas McAdarra, 10, of Avoca, his sister Mary, 7, and brother John, 6. Back row, from left: Zachary’s great-grandmother Marilyn Hicks and grandmother Cheryl Addison, occupational therapist Lynn Dunay, occupational therapist aide Amy Davenport, speech therapist Maggie Fritz and speech therapist Mandy Connell.

December Hero of the Month Nicholas McAdarra, 10, of Avoca, left, plays with a Mr. Potato Head with occupational therapist Lynn Dunay.

Nicky, 10, and Zack, 5, are the first two recipients of the “Hero of the Month” award at the John Heinz Rehabilitation Center. Presented as part of the Kids Wish Network based in Holiday, Fla., the award gives the therapists at Heinz an opportunity to recognize accomplishments made by more than 600 pediatric patients.

When Nicky first arrived for treatment four years ago, he couldn’t stand or walk and didn’t communicate much. Born with three holes in his heart, Nicky, who has Down syndrome, had to undergo emergency surgery the next day. Two of the holes were repaired; his mom, Linda, said he may require further surgery.

Zack’s grandmother, Cheryl Addison of Nanticoke, said Zack, who has autism, didn’t talk much when he arrived at John Heinz three years ago.

“Now he won’t stop talking,” Addison said. “He can count and spell; he’s ready for kindergarten next year.”

The Kids Wish Network, established in 1997, describes the mission of the program as “to help Little Heroes who have had some of life’s unfortunate experiences … who do not have life-threatening illnesses, but have faced some very sad and extraordinary circumstances that they have managed to overcome through efforts that can only be described as heroic.”

Nicky’s mom beamed with pride when she saw her son laughing and interacting with his therapists at the “Hero’s Party” last week. “Nicky is very happy here,” she said. “He knows everyone here cares about him.”

Nicky and his family have a lot to smile about. Nicky can stand and walk with assistance. And he’s not afraid to tell you exactly how he feels about everything.

“It’s a blessing how far he has come,” Linda McAdarra said.

Jean Fredmund, assistant director of pediatric physical therapy at Heinz, got the first call from the Kids Network about becoming part of the national program.

“This is a great way for us to recognize kids who have chronic health problems who work hard and make significant progress,” she said.

The honorees for the Hero of the Month program are children between the ages of 3 and 18 who have overcome difficult circumstances and who have endured a great deal of pain and suffering.

Nicky and Zack ate cake and drank chocolate milk at their party. They received T-shirts and certificates with their pictures and a gift certificate as they basked in the hero's worship of their families and therapists.

Then they returned to therapy because a hero's work is never done.

 Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer.