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toxoplasmosis, epilepsy, and she’s blind. Along
with her disabilities, her ability remains to make
everybody laugh! Ellie can’t talk, but Leslie
assures, “The smile on her face, her laugh, her
giggles will make the most miserable person in
the entire world laugh. She knows how to make
a community come together! She’s amazing.
She’s perfect in my eyes.” And she’s got a pretty
amazing family who stands by her side.
Ellie Jean Clothier, 2014, in the NICU.
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As birthday celebrations began to roll
around the calendar, Leslie grew excited to take
three year old Ellie Jean to the park to play in the
sunshine with the other local children. As they
started going around to different parks to find
somewhere for Ellie Jean to enjoy being outside,
there wasn’t anything available. This realization
of great need turned into a local non-profit
organization with a dream to build a brand new
park that is completely handicap accessible as
well as to update the surrounding parks with
handicap accessibility. One year ago, the Ellie
Jean Project was born, and now is the time for
our community to help a dedicated mom’s
dream come true for so many without a voice.
The ultimate dream of the Ellie Jean Project
to build a completely brand new park brings
along an estimated price tag of $200,000. Leslie
emphasizes, “We are going to build a park!
It’s only a matter of time, and time is of the
essence!” Carthage is willing to provide the
land at the Nancy Kaiser Park complex, to write
some grants, and to help raise the money. In the
beginning, Pinehurst also expressed interest in
helping. The Elks’ Lodge in Southern Pines has
come on board 100%; they have collected some
grant money. Hopefully the Kiwanis will help. As
awareness grows, things are coming together.
Celebrating their first year anniversary in
August, spreading awareness of the Ellie Jean
Project is one of the greatest needs. “That every
single park is somewhat accessible to all kids.
That is my dream!” tells Leslie. “Every-singlepark!
Whether it’s me putting in one swing, or
adding one piece of equipment like a merrygo
round that kids like Ellie can play on—that
is what I want to see. There is no reason for any
park to not to be all inclusive; no one is going
to be let down when the Ellie Jean Project takes
off!” Our kids need something to do. Leslie
continues, “As a probation officer, I see more
and more kids losing their way because there’s
nothing to do around here. Why not invest our
time, money, and effort into redoing our parks
and making them better? For example, with
the Splash pad in Pinehurst, kids now have
something to do. We are attempting to update
the parks so that everyone can play at the same
time.”
There is no doubt that the park will be built
once the land is secured. However, the idea
to upgrade all existing parks by making them
handicap accessible is becoming a considered
option. Leslie affirms, “It’s not difficult. Park
equipment is put together with a wrench, so all
you have to do is take off one piece and add the
handicap accessible piece. For the same amount
of money, we could make every single park in
Moore County handicap accessible for the price
of building a new one. The biggest expense of
redoing these parks is the ground which requires
the recycled rubber access because wheelchairs
can’t go on sand and mulch. Along with the
special rubber foundation, other accessories
include swings where wheelchairs can go up
on a platform to swing. Instead of using stairs,
ramps are incorporated. Slides are designed
so a parent can lay down next to their child
and support them. There are special merrygo
rounds and see saws that hold wheelchairs.
Leslie emphasizes, “All children could play on
the entire playground; we’re not taking away
anything from non-special needs children.
Being handicap accessible doesn’t take anything
away from anybody, rather the park becomes so
much better for everyone. Now my son can play
with his sister, and his sister can play with her
brother. The Ellie Jean Project is a big family!
Family remains a top priority for Leslie and
her husband Brandon. From Detroit, Michigan,
Leslie accepted a job with the Durham Police
Department and soon applied for probation
parole with Moore County. Brandon is an art
teacher at New Century Middle School as well
as the head football coach. A son Joseph Walker
named after Leslie’s grandfather, joins Ellie
Jean and their dog Bella. Joey will be two in
August, and Brandon’s parents who just moved
to Whispering Pines help with Joey when Leslie
works. Leslie laughs, “Joey is a healthy, typical
two-year old boy who is full speed ahead! Ellie
is stationary. With Ellie, I can shower, do the
dishes, and she’s still gonna be there blowing
bubbles when I come back. Ellie is the good one!
However, Joey is the best little brother I have
ever seen! At two years old, he won’t let me push
Ellie to her classroom, he has to do it. Whenever
it’s nap time or bedtime, he always gives her
hugs and kisses before bed; you don’t have to tell
him. He’s amazing!”
A normal day for Ellie starts around 6:30 or
7 in the morning when she gets dressed and
gets on the school bus and heads to school. Ms.
Tytiona, Ellie’s in-home worker, gets her off the
bus at 3 in the afternoon and gives Ellie a snack.
Ellie doesn’t like to drink, nor does she like cold
things. She struggles to chew, but she loves
pasta! Bedtime is around 8-8:30; typically Ellie
Jean doesn’t fall asleep until 10:30.
Ellie’s seizures are normally really bad in
the morning which is really taking a toll. Leslie
quiets, “They terrify me! We have Diastat, an
emergency medicine that we are to give her
after about five minutes, but you have no idea
how long she’s been in a seizure when you enter
her room. I’m hoping to find somebody who is
willing to help me train a dog to wake me up if
Ellie is seizing. After a seizure you always hope
to find an underlying issue like an ear infection,
sore throat, or something. If she has an earache,
then she’s not able to tell you that her ear hurts.
You have to guess a lot.”
Leslie admits, “When something goes wrong,
we’ve gotten pretty good at guessing. We see Dr.
Kate Mason at Sandhills Pediatrics who is an
incredible pediatrician. For big things, we go to
UNC Chapel Hill."
The Sandhills Children’s Center remains
an incredible gift as well! They’ve done
phenomenal work with Ellie, and Leslie praises,
“Ellie would not be where she is today without
the help of the Sandhills Children’s Center.”
Ellie attends Monday through Friday, but when
she turns five years old, she will most likely
transition to Carthage Elementary School. We
hear phenomenal things about Farm Life, but I
feel like every program should be up to the same
standard. I don’t feel like our lives as special
needs parents should be uprooted because
something is better somewhere else; we will
make the change happen.”
Making the Ellie Jean Project happen remains
top priority! Projected time for completion of
the park? “Hopefully within the coming year,”
exclaims Leslie. “We’re just hitting the first year
mark; we are a sanctioned non-profit now, but I
am also a full-time mom and full-time probation
parole officer. A faithful group of volunteers
continually helps. My immediate family helps
tremendously, but we need more people to step
up! Susie and Jeff at Time-out Sports Bar and
Grill in Carthage manage events every 3 months.
They are our biggest supporters! Hugger Mugger
in Sanford is also a huge support!”
Locals are encouraged to give money, donate
time, plan an event—to spread the word about
the Ellie Jean Project. Leslie smiles, “Buy a shirt
and wear it! Our Facebook page supports our
biggest following right now and features all our
events. Erin Blue, one of my favorite young ladies
in the whole world, a student at Union Pines,
manages the web page. She has planned the
Ellie Jean walk for the past two years by herself.
She’s the most amazing girl I’ve ever met! From
the time I was pregnant with Ellie Jean, she’s
never left our side. If my child ends up half of
the child that Erin Blue is, I’d be happy. She’s my
heart. I love her!”
The sooner the better for the park. “The
sooner the better, absolutely!” Leslie agrees.
“I’m never giving up! God-forbid anything were
to ever happen to Ellie! I won’t stop. There are
too many kids just like Ellie who need it.”
In our community, there are many children
with special needs. “We have a ton. You’d be
exposed to them if our playgrounds were
accessible,” assures Leslie. “It’s difficult to get
a special needs child out in the public. People
stare at Ellie, and I understand. I don’t get
offended by it. I only wish people would come
over and talk to us. Come over and give Ellie a
high five. Those few people who take the time
to do that, really make my life good. There was
this amazing man at Sandhills Pediatrics who
was there with his grandson. He came over and
sat with us, talked to us, and wanted to know all
about Ellie. That man made my freaking year!”
Leslie encourages, “Come over and ask
questions. My biggest pet peeve is when a little
kid comes over and says, ‘What’s wrong with
her?’ And the parents tell the kid to stop! You’re
teaching them to be scared of her. Nothing is
wrong with Ellie; she’s just a little different than
you. You can talk to her; you can play with her!
That’s my biggest message to parents—our kids
are not contagious! Don’t hold your kids back.
Sure you don’t want to offend us, but you’re
offending us by keeping space and making us
feel like outcasts.”
How can others rally around the parents with
a special needs child? “We’re no different than
any other parent,” explains Leslie. If you see a
Ellie Jean of the Ellie Jean Project.
p.30 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 130