19-COLOR
January 17, 2013
Littleton Independent 19
r Postcards show 9-year-old the world Parker mom’s idea goes viral By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com
when d op- When 9-year-old Nathan nam,Hiltman was diagnosed ntirewith optic atrophy in July, y onhis mom decided to try her
best to help him see the con-world before losing his vied ofsion.
The mission doesn’t inrope,volve long flights to exotic talkand expensive locales on andthe other side of the world. o at-Stacey Hiltman’s solution ippi,was simple, yet ingenious: utherpostcards. nces The plan was to put the k outcall out to friends and relas andtives on her blog, as well as
through Facebook. But as fromwith all good ideas, word men-spread like wildfire. It was ad ushelped along considern forably when Nathan’s older andsister, Madison, presented assi-the strategy in November t ageto her Pine Grove Elementary fifth-grade class during show-and-tell. The heartwarming story had some in tears, and Madison’s teacher informed colleagues and parents about the cause. A parent who works at a Denver television news station asked if she could pitch the story to producers, and the rest, as they say, is history. The
piece went viral, and pretty soon the Hiltmans’ story was being picked up by new outlets as far away as Malaysia. “It’s really quite unreal because it went from honestly just my 200 friends and family on Facebook to us saying, `We don’t know what’s going on, could you send us some postcards?’” Stacey Hiltman said. The result has been astounding. As of Jan. 4, just two weeks after the story first aired, the family had received well over 1,000 postcards from all over the globe, including a stack from a Littleton woman who has been collecting postcards her entire life, but decided they could be put to better use. The vivid imagery of monuments and historic places brought the world to the Hiltman’s Parker living room. Other offers began flooding in, too. A Parker woman wants to take Nathan flying in her small plane, and a man from South Carolina offered to fund a trip overseas for the entire family. That man has an autistic son, and Nathan has a high-functioning form of the neurological disorder. Nathan’s dad, Jay, said the offers have been incredibly generous, but they cannot accept such extravagant gifts. However, he said the family will consider a proposal from a Montrose
Nathan Hiltman’s sister, Madison, spreads out some of the postcards they have received from all over the world. Photos by Courtney Kuhlen woman who raises Labradoodle service dogs for the visually impaired and wants to give one to the thirdgrader. Another woman wants to donate a magnifying device that will help Nathan better see his homework. “There are certain things we can’t refuse,” Stacey Hiltman said. The last year has been filled with ups and downs for the family. Countless doctors were unable to pinpoint the reason for Nathan’s progressive loss of sight. After the optic atrophy diagnosis, Jay Hiltman had difficulty coming to grips with the fact that his son
would never ride a bike or play sports again. But there is one shining moment, one that was caught on video, that Nathan’s dad eagerly shares with people. It shows Nathan’s youth basketball team graciously handing him the ball — at the direction of his coaches who wanted every player to make a basket before the end of the season — and heaving it cleanly through the hoop. The entire gymnasium exploded. Parents were cheering and crying at the same time. The coaches and refs were high-fiving Nathan, whose friend told him what the excitement was all about. A time-out
McNab: Background includes jobs overseas McNab continues from Page 1
rado Center for the Arts/The Art Center, which was a part of its community as Town Hall is, and more recently, a short period with the Rocky Mountain Arts Association in Denver. When the Town Hall position became open, she knew she had to apply for it, she said. Before the Grand Junction position, she directed The National Audubon Society’s first environmental center in Phoenix, where she was involved in writing a bond proposal and a business plan for that center. She said her husband is a developer
and moves were related to projects he was working with. Her undergraduate degree was in sociology from George Mason University in Virginia (1974). A master’s degree from the University of Maryland/ Baltimore was earned in 1996. She worked in a congressional office in Washington, taught in Zimbabwe and in England, and was a development officer for the University of Arizona. Since entering the arts field, she has participated in related committees, boards and seminars and with presentations and panels focused on art and economic development — a topic that will be important to her new
Littleton position. She is excited about the Town Hall board of directors, with Linda Scott as new president, and looks forward to working with them to keep successful programs going. She hopes to expand children’s programming for Town Hall and perhaps bring new audiences to the Thursday Preview Nights before a production opens. In Grand Junction, people with disabilities were invited to dress rehearsals and she looks to make that connection and others in Littleton. She is also looking for other possible community connections and would welcome contacts.
was called and Nathan can be seen running to hug his mom. “That was one of my proud moments of being a dad. Because you always want the best for your kids,” Jay Hiltman said. Now the family is humbled once again by support
Nathan Hiltman, who is losing his vision to optic atrophy, opens an envelope with postcards inside Jan. 4. People from all over the world have responded to his mother’s idea to show him the world through postcards before he loses his sight. from the public. Postcards from strangers continue to flood in to help a young boy discover the wonders that life has to offer. Those who wish to donate postcards to Nathan can send them to 10544 Oakmoor Circle, Parker, CO 80134.
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Broadway: Patrols could increase ticket numbers Broadway continues from Page 1
construction zone five to six times a week on the way to work at Outback Steakhouse in Highlands Ranch, said traffic is either really backed up or people are driving the normal 45 mph speed limit, ignoring the posted work zone limits.
“It’s madness over there,” Clukies said, adding that people are also “flying down the off-ramps (and onto Broadway) much faster than they should be going.” The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued 58 tickets on Broadway between Dec. 1 and Jan. 8, most of which were handed out in the construction
zone, spokesman Sgt. Ron Hanavan said. With increased patrols those numbers are likely to go up. “Our school zones are our No. 1 priority and then after that we get into construction zones,” Hanavan added. “Our No. 1 complaint across the board in the county is traffic-related issues, hands down.”
Suspect: Fight began at party
Twice as large as any other show in Colorado!
Suspect continues from Page 1
Rankin’s preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 22 and is expected to take all day. He was arrested Oct. 24 and faces a first-degree murder charge. Robert Alexander Placa, 18, of Centennial was taken into custody on Dec. 20. He’s charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a defaced firearm. He is also being held without bond at the Arapahoe County jail. The arrests stem from an altercation that began about 11 p.m. at a house party in the 5400 block of South Fox Street, tucked between Cherrelyn Manor nursing home and Living Word Tabernacle. Neighbor kids say those involved were gang-bangers with a “previous beef.” Flores, a new father, died at the scene. The juvenile was taken to the hospital; reports indicate he’s since recovered.
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