A Helping Hand
“Every once in a while, we get the chance to put business aside to help someone in need,” says Vehicle Wrapping VP, Chris Fong. Chris was contacted by Courtnee McDonald to wrap a cranial helmet for her son Bennett, who suffers from a condition called Plagiocephaly (PLAY-gee-oh-SEF-uh-lee).
Plagiocephaly is a very common condition that affects as many as 13% of babies in America. The condition develops when an infant’s rapidly growing head attempts to expand, and meets some type of resistance. This can occur while the baby is still in the womb or if an infant has a strong preference to look in one direction. Because babies’ skulls are so flexible, a baby who spends too much time lying in one position may develop a flat spot on the side of his or her head that rests on the mattress.
Fortunately, plagiocephaly is easy to prevent and treat. Keeping your baby off their back for extended periods of time will help to prevent a deformity. If a deformity has already started, a cranial helmet can be used to help the baby’s head grow naturally. The helmet, otherwise known as a DOC band, was the answer for Bennett.
The Inspiration
The inspiration to wrap her sons cranial helmet came from Wrap Buddies, a non-profit organization started by Tommy Strader and Felecia Martinez of 360 Wraps, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. In 2009, a father of an infant with plagiocephaly came into the shop to ask if they could wrap a helmet for his baby. After realizing that the helmets cost upwards of $4,000, Tommy insisted that the wrap was free of charge.
Not knowing how common the condition was, Tommy agreed to help out other parents looking for a similar DOC Band helmet wrap. With the unexpected hoard of dedicated parents looking for a way to give their babies another reason to smile, Wrap Buddies (a non-profit) was born and has since wrapped thousands of helmets for babies suffering from plagiocephaly.
Courtnee is a previous customer at Absolute Perfection, and upon hearing about Bennett’s condition, Chris was touched and felt Courtnee was just doing what any parent would have done. “I’ve wrapped plenty of cars, buildings, and a bunch of other different things, but never a helmet like this,” said Chris. “It felt really good to see Bennett’s reaction to the helmet and being a father myself, I knew I had to do this one for free.”
Bennett loves the new turtle wrap on his helmet. Seeing the joy on his face and the happiness that it brought his family was enough to confirm that this project was a success.
