Changing lives through Jesus Christ—this is what Special Kids strives to do. Special Kids, which was founded in Murfreesboro in 1998, is a Christian nonprofit organization that provides rehabilitation and nursing services to children with special needs. It is the only organization of its kind in Tennessee.

The  organization offers physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies to individuals aged from birth to 21 who have been referred to the facility by a physician.

The facility’s recreational gym uses mats, swings and stairs to help build children’s growth and stability. This room is where some parents witness their children’s first steps, said Elizabeth Hudson, marketing specialist.

The skilled nursing program is for children who are deemed medically fragile and cannot attend other programs. “This program allows parents to work or run errands knowing their children are in good hands,” Elizabeth said. The organization also helps kids work through difficulties they may have. Some kids have trouble with certain textures. “One girl here had an aversion to touching glitter,” Elizabeth told. By the end of her therapy though, she could put both hands into a tub of glitter.

It’s this kind of accomplishment that gets a name on the praise board. The bulletin board is covered in cut-outs of hands, feet and smiles—each one representing a different accomplishment. “Chloe says ‘Mama,’” is written on the board, and is one example of the progress made at Special Kids. After nearly five years of speech therapy, this little girl made a breakthrough by saying ‘Mama.’ Today, Chloe has made tremendous improvement and speaks every day.

The Praise Board

Other children learn they have great talents through their therapy. Jamise, a little girl who lost both her hands, learned she had a skill for painting. Her art is hung on one of the walls in the facility.

Paintings by Jamise

Special Kids wants to focus on abilities rather than disabilities in their Camp Ability summer program. The program, divided into two sessions scheduled for June and July, accepts ages 6 through 25. Held at North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, this day camp is designed to help kids improve what they’re good at, not focusing on what they can’t do.

Special Kids has served 2,300 children from 11 counties since its founding. While the organization would like to take in everyone, space is limited in the facility. Closets were turned into offices and meeting places and the laundry room doubles as a therapy room.“We like to think we’re using all the space we’re given, but hopefully we’ll get more when funds permit it,” Elizabeth said. Fundraising opportunities are always available for those in the community who would like to help.

The 2nd Annual Special Kids Race is coming up on Saturday, March 23, and they are very close to selling out. The race, presented by Murfreesboro Medical Clinic & Surgicenter (MMC), will have 3,000 participants and “runners will have the choice among three distances: the One-Mile Fun Run, the 5K, or the 15K,” Elizabeth told the Pulse.

People can also get involved with Impact Special Kids. This fundraising opportunity “bridges the nuts and bolts of fundraising with creativity,” Elizabeth said. With this program, members of the community have the freedom to design their own fundraising program. Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate, for example, held a tournament to raise money for Special Kids. This is only one example of how community members have been able to help the organization. By starting a fundraiser at impactspecialkidstn.com, anyone can be actively involved in changing lives through Special Kids.

Special Kids is located at 202 Arnette St., Murfreesboro. and can be reached at (615) 890-1003.

More information can be found at specialkidstn.com. The Special Kids Race website is specialkidsrace.org.