SPRINGFIELD — Months after a Springfield teen was left paralyzed after being hit by a car while riding his bike, volunteers spent their Easter Sunday building a ramp at his family’s house.
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News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson stopped by their place on Sunday and was there as he rolled down the ramp for the first time.
Lincoln Cloud had his life flipped upside down on July 25, 2022 when he was hit by a car on his way from work. Since the crash, his family has done everything they can to be there for their son.
“He’s still currently paralyzed and he’s learning to feed himself and do different things again,” said Stephen Cloud, his father.
He told News Center 7 he and his wife, Rachel, were using a wooden board as a makeshift ramp to get their son in and out of the house.
“As I was first getting on it, it was trouble getting up and then that led into the house,” said Lincoln. “I mean, it wasn’t too bad but this is definitely way better.”
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Then, Mark Houseman came along and found out about Lincoln through one of his elementary school teachers.
He and a group of friends work closely with the Ark of Hope, a nonprofit group in Springfield, who volunteered to help.
“They’ve been here nonstop,” said Houseman. “We had Ernst donate the concrete, Lowes donated, Home Depot donated.”
Robertson said Lincoln could not believe that people would not only donate supplies for a ramp but come build it for him.
“It’s just something so big and it means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s only been two to three days. It’s really incredible and it’s all volunteer work. God bless their hearts.”
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Lincoln’s mom told News Center 7 he has been showing some progress and they are not losing hope.
“His spinal cord is not severed,” said Rachel Cloud. “So, it’s what they call an incomplete injury. Which means he has movement, but the left slowly came along and we have seen some movement in the legs.”
She says Lincoln still has a ways to go.
“But movement doesn’t mean feeling, he can’t stand because he doesn’t have the full depth feeling in his legs,” she explained.
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Robertson said Lincoln will still need assistance getting up and down the ramp but his mom said it is one-step closer to him gaining more independence.
You can find ways to help Lincoln and his family by visiting this website.