CINCINNATI - For more than a decade, one organization in Ohio called ‘May We Help’ has designed and created custom solutions for people with special needs.

What You Need To Know

  • Volunteers with 'May We Help' work around the clock to create custom built devices to help people with special needs

  • Creating Halloween costumes brings extra smiles for children and families

  • 'May We Help' is getting ready for its 5th annual Halloween festival Sunday, Oct 22nd

“So often if you have a disability, the only thing standing in the way of you getting on with your life is the right device. We will design that device for you, we’ll build it, and then we’ll deliver it to you. We do that every year for hundreds of people and we always do it free of charge,” said executive Director Rob Seideman.

The group is based in Cincinnati and over the years has made holidays like Halloween even more special.

“He’s been looking forward to seeing his costume and I’m looking forward to seeing it too,” said mother Sarah Updike as she and her son, Killian, 7, wait for his costume to be delivered.

“Our logo, it got the smile on the face. If it brings a smile to their face that’s all I need,” said May We Help volunteer Bob Woolf as he carried the costume into the Updike family’s garage.

Woolf and a small team carefully sketched out a Mario Kart design and fitted it for Killian’s wheelchair.

“We’ve got it upstairs all ready to go with the mustache, he might not be keen on the mustache but he’ll enjoy the car part of the costume,” said Sarah Updike.

Killian is the youngest of Sarah and her husband’s three children. 

“Every Halloween has been different for us because his condition has deteriorated over the years,” she said.

Killian was born typical.

As a baby and a young toddler he could walk, talk, and move. By the time he turned three, his mom noticed changes.

Tests are ongoing, but no one can figure out his condition.

“Until this becomes your world, you don’t realize how challenging every day things can be,” Updike said.

Killian understand everything happening around him and expresses his thoughts and feelings the best he can.

“No one hands you a book saying ‘here’s how to navigate all these things including trick or treating’,” said Updike.

May We Help has been there for the Updikes every step of the way.

Volunteers even designed a special seat so Killian could safely sit on the floor for family game night.

“He never had the chance to learn to ride a bike. So we went to May We Help and they had one sitting right there and I grabbed that really fast and he got his first ever bike ride,” said Updike.

With his cool new costume, Killian gets to not only trick or treat on Halloween, but he’s going to a special party on Sunday.

May We Help is celebrating their 5th annual Halloween festival.

“There’s about 21 kids we did costumes for this year and they’ll all be there at the Halloween festival and they’ll all be debuting their costumes. It’s really fun for them. About 250 will come, some with disabilities, some without, but every body will be dressed up and having fun,” Seideman said.

There are only a handful of organizations in the world like May We Help.

The group has delivered custom builds to people in 36 states and internationally.

“We continue to grab these moments like I said, we always try to capture any moments of happiness. Despite not knowing where this is going, we are going to have our Halloween trick or treating, we are going to celebrate all the holidays we want to celebrate and it just has to look different and we just find different ways of getting our joy,” Updike said.

The Halloween festival is happening Sunday at May We Help headquarters located at 7501 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227.

The event runs from 12-4 p.m. with more than 15 different inclusive games and activities.