Born at 23 weeks, weighing in at 1 pound 3.5 ounces, Lamont has had an uphill battle from the beginning. He has chronic lung disease, endured 3 retina surgeries, is able to walk due to surgeries on his hamstrings and Achilles tendons plus developmental delays due to his premature birth. Now 18 years old and thriving, Lamont loves basketball and wants to work on cars just like his dad, Marcus.
Lamont enjoys being around other youth and can’t wait to attend Rainbows’ Camp Woodchuck each summer to interact with his friends. “Lamont makes friends easily,” said Tiffany Graf, Family Support Services Coordinator and Camp Director. “He enjoys being a part of a group and participating in fun activities. Like most teen boys, he loves everything related to sports.”
A member of the Special Olympics as well as the West High School basketball team, Lamont loves being on the team and shooting the ball into the hoop. He was a part of the West High championship basketball team this past season. A special memory.
The family loves Rainbows and began early intervention services in the family home when their children, twin boys, were born. They continued with Targeted Case Management and when the boys were old enough to go to Camp Woodchuck in the summers they signed up and have been attending ever since. Field trips to the zoo, All Star Sports and Exploration Place are some of his favorite activities.
Lamont attends Chisolm Life Skills Center where he enjoys learning job skills. He’s held a job at Textron Aviation as part of the cleaning crew.
Lamont steps up to meet expectations of others and often is the first one to help out when things need to be carried for classroom field trips or other events. In High School he meets his brother, Adryan, at his classroom and wheels him to where he needs to go and to the bus at the end of the day. At home he helps with laundry, mowing the lawn, car maintenance, and other chores. One of his favorite things is to help his dad work on cars.
“Lamont meets his challenges head on and gets over things quickly,” said his dad, Marcus. “Having children with special needs has made me a better person. I see Lamont’s patience, his joy of life and the simple things, he’s a great brother to his twin Adryan who is in a wheelchair. I’m so proud of the man he is becoming.”
Lamont loves shoes and has more than anyone else in the family. He especially likes basketball shoes. He also loves to drive go-karts and hopes to drive one day.
Lamont lives with his father, Marcus, his twin brother Adryan, and his two sisters: Unique, age 14 and Khaleesi, age 3.
In 2023, Lamont was honored as the InterHab Outstanding Youth. His family and Rainbows’ supporters were there to cheer him on. We’re so proud of you!
