BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — “I felt pretty excited.” That was Jacob Vetter’s reaction when he found out he was going to be interviewed for the inaugural CPABLE Kids Telethon on KX.
He hopes he’ll inspire viewers like you to be generous, which will make a big difference for families in our area. “Basically give them the tools that they need, like whether they need a walker or stander or maybe even a power chair,” Vetter, who has Cerebral palsy, said.

Greg & Pam Vetter have been living in Bismarck for 20 years after moving from Williston, for work and Jacob. “The medical facilities that were here, some of the specialties that were here,” Vetter’s father Greg said. Designing a home fit for Jacob’s journey with Cerebral palsy was another brick in the foundation, as well as making sure they have a plan to get the day off to a good start. “Between him and I, after Greg gets him dressed and in the chair, then I take over and do breakfast and getting him ready to go out the door, get his coat on if he needs it.
He has to take a lunch every day, so, we have a routine. We have to,” Pam Vetter, Jacob’s mother, said.

While they don’t have some of the financial challenges other families may have, as Jacob has gotten older, Greg Vetter says all the equipment, like their modified van, does add up.
“The van itself was like a typical price of a van. Right? But the modifications were almost $24,000 and that was in 2011.”

Organizations like CPABLE, through the telethon, can help reduce some of those out-of-pocket costs. The Vetters admit they have their share of tough days, but Greg says after Jacob was born, a doctor provided some memorable and helpful insight. “You don’t know what he’s going to be dealing with and it’s probably best that you don’t, because you wouldn’t be able to digest it,” Vetter said. Even in those dark moments, Greg says a special light has continuously shined. “Our faith, number one. Number two, knowing full well that God is good and He will take care of things, maybe not in our time, maybe in our way of thinking but the faith that just allows us to hand it over in a sense. We’re here to take care of His creation and we try our best to do that,” Vetter explained.

The Vetters invite you to do the same.