Since 1985, The Wyandot County Council for Birth Defects has been serving children in Wyandot County with special needs.
Those with special needs in the community were supported before 1985 through the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Theodore Roosevelt who had polio and was supported in Wyandot County. A dispute over local donations taken out of the county to the national level led to the formation of the Council for Birth Defects in 1985.
The independent organization has been working since that time to give back as much as possible to its mission for serving Wyandot County children and families. Through the March of Dimes, a dime for every dollar donated is given to those in need. The Wyandot County Council for Birth Defects prides itself in being able to keep all the money it receives in Wyandot County with around 97% of donations going back to the children and families in need in the community. The council is made up of volunteers who donate their time.
With the everchanging list of birth defects, Council Vice President Ruth Reier explained there is no master list of birth defects that the council serves. There is no age limit for who the Council can serve either, Reier noted. Typically, families that qualify for the Children with Medical Handicaps (CMH) program through Wyandot County Public Health are automatically eligible for assistance through the Council, but assistance also is available for individuals and families that don’t qualify for CMH, Reier said.
The Children with Medical Handicaps Program serves Ohio residents up to age 21 who have or may have a chronic medical condition and who are under the care of a CMH approved doctor. The program is administered in Wyandot County by Wyandot County Public Health. The program can provide financial assistance during the diagnosis and treatment of qualifying medical conditions and may provide service coordination. For more information on CMH visit wyandothealth.com/nursing/cmh.
“Usually if they qualify for CMH then we’re there for them,” Reier said. “Otherwise, the officers review the cases. Some of them would slip through the cracks if it were only through CMH. We can provide others help like with gas vouchers for appointments or incontinence pads or something like that. People all come in on hard times, like if dad lost his job and the winter heat bill comes in, we can help them get through those times with assistance.”
Over the years, the Wyandot County Council for Birth Defects has aided with emergency medication and supplies, adaptive equipment, home modifications, gas vouchers for appointments, lodging assistance for hospital stays, prenatal care and even camp registration for camps where children with birth defects can get away and interact with others with similar life experiences.
Applications must be filled out to receive assistance from the council. The applications may be picked up at and turned into Wyandot County Public Health, at 127-A South Sandusky Ave., Upper Sandusky. They also are available through the Wyandot County Public Health website. For additional information call Wyandot County Public Health at 419-294-3852 ext. 233.
The Council for Birth Defects currently has 12 volunteers serving and is always open to new members. The council meets six times a year, usually on the last Monday of even numbered months starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Transfiguration Parish Community Room in Upper Sandusky.
