“Stephanie didn’t put her feet down when you held her and she didn’t grip onto your fingers,” Botticher said.
After a muscle biopsy confirmed her diagnosis, the family prepared for a future for Stephanie, who was confirmed to have a disease that would make her progressively weaker as she grew.
In Milas’ case, though she never crawled or rolled over as an infant, she always functioned at a high cognitive level and has been able to be relatively independent with the help of wheelchairs and other medical devices.
“As Stephanie has gotten older, her muscles showed a weakness,” Botticher said. “She had rods placed in her spine in 1997 to correct her scoliosis so she could continue to sit in a wheelchair and be as mobile as possible.”
Now nearly 29 years old, Milas has been in a wheelchair since the age of 3, but never let her disability keep her from accomplishing her goals.
According to her childhood friend, Elizabeth Lewis, Milas is “one of the brightest and most caring people I have ever met.”
Friends since second grade, Lewis and Milas have spent many weekends together and Lewis said she never looked at her friend as being “different.”
Both girls graduated from Wayne High School in 2004 and Milas excelled with the help of an aide who not only pushed her wheelchair but also translated her sometimes difficult-to-understand speech.
Today Milas is using a power wheelchair and a handicapped-accessible van to get around that is 17 years old. She is currently attending Wright State University and working toward a master’s degree in business administration. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and also does accounting work for a local food co-operative.
But because her van is constantly in need of repair, the family is hoping to purchase a new vehicle to replace it.
“A new van will cost $50,000,” Milas said. “I took a class about philanthropy in school and came up with the idea to raise the money myself.”
During her class, Milas chose a non-profit organization and wrote a paper about it. She uses a special “Eye Gaze” computer to write and send messages since she can no longer use her hands and arms. The computer works by recognizing eye movement.
Milas’ chosen non-profit, the Dayton Ronald McDonald House, was one of the top vote-getters in her class and therefore received the funds the class raised. Milas was the top fundraiser in the class, which ended up donating $4,000 to the charity.
"I heard about this website (Youcaring.com) and Elizabeth volunteered to set it up for me so we could raise money for my van," Milas said.
Besides raising funds through the website, Milas is working hard with other businesses in the community to reach her goal, including putting together baskets for raffles, holding meal fundraisers at local restaurants, organizing a 5K run for later this year and selling special “Wheels for Freedom” bracelets. Through all of her efforts, she has raised nearly $2,000 since February.
“Without a van I’m stuck at home,” Milas said. And without transportation, she can’t continue her studies at Wright State, nor get out to visit friends, all of whom she inspires with her positive attitude and contagious spirit.
“Stephanie has never lived life like she has a handicap,” Lewis said. “She has done more than anyone I know and is a huge role model. She is always happy and inspires me to live my life to the fullest and be a better person.”
If you'd like to support Milas' fundraising efforts, log on to YouCaring.com and search for "Wheels for Freedom."
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