BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Dr. Murphy, you’ve worked very closely with so many of these families with children with special needs in North Dakota. So can you tell us a little bit about what you do and some of the challenges you’ve seen children with cerebral palsy and other childhood onset neurological conditions and their families experience over the years?

“Well, they’re wonderful children and wonderful families,” Dr. Kevin Murphy, MD, Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation said. “And they have many, many different diagnoses. And they struggle in special ways to to function throughout North Dakota and our regions and the kids will have cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy or spinal bifida where there’s a deficiency in their spine and, and they’ll have different genetic conditions or they might be born without a foot or an arm. Or they’ll have a twisting of their spine or scoliosis, or they’ll have extra pressure in the brain like hydrocephalus or water on the brain a nd plus, they’ll have a predisposition for a lot of medical conditions like pneumonia, and seizures and things that can require quite a prolonged hospital stay at times to recover from so all of these things, as we, as we all know, cost a lot of money, especially nowadays with inflation. And it’s just thousands of dollars above pretty much everybody’s budget. So we try to come together with a wonderful event like Cpable is put forward here to to raise the bigger money to larger sums of money that these kids will occasionally require once or twice in their life to to make it through the wonderful care they receive in North Dakota.”

Absolutely. And when you work with these families, because all of this equipment and and everything that the children need is not always covered by insurance. And so do you talk with the families about the limitations of health insurance and maybe some of that equipment that they might need to purchase out of pocket, and what you advise them to do for that?

“And even insurance only pays up like 80 percent at the most of some of this,” Dr. Murphy explained. “So you know twenty-percent of $40,000 still quite a bit of money, $8,000. So we we have a lot of money that comes out of pocket and that’s a lot in anybody’s budget, a lot of these events happen suddenly, and they don’t know when their seizures are going to go out of control or they’ll aspirate in some food and have pneumonia and wind up with a 30 day hospital stay with you know, eight to 10 days in the ICU which I’d have to go to the latest cost us almost five $6,000 a day in the ICU if I’m not under estimating and things and so the costs become overwhelming. And the other fact is is nobody really chooses a life like this. It’s a beautiful life and we’re wonderful to be involved in it. So we all want to help each other out here with the bigger costs that are just well beyond 98 percent of people or more budgets month to month and that’s what Cpable and the fundraising events are about.”

Absolutely. And, you know, are there are there any other programs like Cpable that you refer families to, you know, we don’t know, of the programs that could be out there but Cpable, we know is new, and helping a very unique group of people and families.

“It’s very unique in the sense that all the money goes to the kids and families, there’s no other sources or not no other outlets for this money to flow,” Dr. Murphy explained. “The families put in a request, and the careful committee looks at it and decides how they’re going to find money, quarter to quarter and, and the wishes are granted. And so it’s not, the money isn’t dedicated to a certain program or certain part of a hospital or, or a park or something in the community. It’s just, it’s devoted right to the family’s wishes what they need, at the time, And so the family asked and Cpable responds and, and there’s, it’s all volunteers and nobody’s making any money here. It’s just trying to help people be happy and survive in a tough environment. And that’s what Cpable’s is all about.

Absolutely. Is there anything else Dr. Murphy that you would like to add about capable and why people should consider helping this organization and all of these families out?

“We’re just looking to help these kids and families in North Dakota for these large sums, these large gifts that are required to survive and with conditions like cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. So we just function with a spirit of thankfulness for Cpable and the leadership and wish them the best anything we can do to help we certainly want to help.”

All right, thank you so much, Dr. Murphy. We thank you very much for your time and all you do for these children and their families. It’s very much appreciated.

“Well, thank you, Alysia, you guys, have a great day,” said Dr. Murphy.