Photos By Bruce Forster and Jerome Hart
The Center for Medically Fragile Children at Providence Child Center can be a challenging place for first-time visitors. Many might wonder how God can deny little boys strong legs to run freely or little girls agile fingers to dress dolls. Kelly Schmidt doesn’t.
"I believe we are all created in the image of God, and these children are too," she says. "Their role and purpose in life is very powerful. They change the world just by being who they are."
Schmidt is the spiritual support provider and social worker for the Center for Medically Fragile Children. She works with hundreds of school-age children who volunteer at the center. Some come once to fulfill a school requirement; others return weekly out of their own desire to read books, sing songs or wheelchair dance with the residents. Schmidt educates the volunteers about the young residents.