Stansel Baptist children raise funds for wheelchair-bound peer

By Anna Keller
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist

Nine-year-old Sophie Claire Rector can’t communicate verbally but her facial expressions and contagious laughter make her emotions clear to those around her. Sophie has a rare condition called Rett Syndrome which has left her wheelchair-bound and requires she be nourished with a feeding tube. To the other children at Stansel Baptist Church, Reform, however, Sophie is just another kid.

‘They want to help’

“These children do not just see a girl in a wheelchair; they see their best friend and the marvelous works and miracles that God is doing through Sophie,” said Joey Lucas, pastor of Stansel Baptist. “They want to help push her chair, comfort her and make sure she is okay at all times.”

Her peers at church love to include her in as many things as possible and Sophie thrives in this inclusive environment.
“Sophie loves her little army and lights up when they involve her in games, activities and discussions,” Lucas said.

However, as Sophie grew bigger and heavier, it became more and more difficult to carry Sophie upstairs for class on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Because the other children didn’t want Sophie to have to miss out on any of the learning and fun happening at church, they decided to raise money for a lift to help transport her upstairs.

The idea for this type of fundraiser began during Vacation Bible School (VBS) in 2016. During VBS each year the kids typically raise money for a missions project. So Sophie’s lift became their missions project for the next year.

“They had their own car washes, set up lemonade stands, sold bracelets, collected VBS attendance sponsorships, emptied piggy banks, asked for donations and many other various entrepreneurial opportunities,” Lucas said. “One of the children even came up with the slogan ‘Help Us Lift Sophie.’”

Jan Bailey, VBS director, was impressed at the children’s commitment to raising money to help Sophie participate in their activities.

“The more money raised, the harder they worked,” she said. “They asked for donations and any change they could find was collected. Each child was challenged to attend VBS every night and each night they attended they got family and friends to sponsor them, which meant more money for Sophie’s lift.”

‘Hands and feet of Jesus’

In total, the kids raised $12,500 for the lift. The church then partnered with Central Alabama Christian Builders — a company Lucas had worked with before at a previous church — for the lift’s installation in June.

“The children … were learning at a young age to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Bailey said. “Their eagerness and excitement … carried over to the entire church. Our church has come together to work and help any way they can to lift Sophie up. How amazing to see God work and provide in all things, great and small, for this project to be complete.”