CARIBOU, Maine — Eighth-grader Kaylee Trombley is the proud owner of a new iPad thanks to her teachers in the Caribou Life Skills Program at the Caribou Middle School.
Trombley has autism, which means social situations can be tricky, but according to special education teacher, Penny Jackson, Trombley is more at ease when she can play on her new iPad.
“The staff and I decided that Kaylee needed an iPad of her own,” Jackson said. “She has jobs she needs to do like all the students and we found that if we allowed her to use the iPad she was more willing to do what we asked of her.”
Jackson, along with her ed techs Cassandra Davenport and Betty Currie, put their heads together to find a way to raise money so Kaylee could have the popular computing device for her own.
“It took on a life of its own. I first started at the Bennett Drive Redemption Center here in Caribou and asked if I could start a fundraiser, where people could go in and donate their bottles and cans. Bennett Drive Redemption was wonderful. They were like ‘of course you can!’” Jackson said.
The redemption center liked the idea of the fundraiser so much they felt they could do more to help and decided to match the funds raised, “Before we knew it within two weeks we had over $500,” Jackson said.
Jackson and her team began raising money in early February and with the help of the Bennett Drive Redemption Center and other local donations they managed to raise the necessary funds to purchase Kaylee her own iPad.
“She had the biggest smile on her face, it was incredible. She can’t communicate like normal kids can, but you can tell by her body language she understood,” Jackson said. “She is just so much happier. She’s hardly had any meltdowns.”
Jackson had money left over from the purchase of Kaylee’s tablet and wasn’t sure what she would do with it. With a nod from Bennett Drive Redemption Center Jackson decided to keep the fundraising going.
“Within a couple more weeks we had enough money to get another student an iPad. People in the community stepped up again,” Jackson said.
Sixth-grader Daniel Chartier was the lucky recipient of the second iPad.
“I’ve had parents ask me how can their kid get an iPad, which is heartwarming, but sad because I would love to buy every child with special needs an iPad. As long as people are donating we can keep it going,” Jackson said.
Jackson plans to keep the “iPad for Kaylee Fund” going as long as she and her ed techs can. For those interested in helping with the fundraising more information can be found on Facebook, or stop by the Bennett Drive Redemption Center in Caribou.
