February 18, 2011
Kurtis Rexing
St. James student is using Skype technology to stay in school
Kurtis Rexing is attending school in a non-conventional way after two severe breaks in his leg because of a farming accident. Above, the sixth grader sits in a recliner in his home and watches his teacher on a laptop computer via Skype technology. (Message photo by Mary Ann Hughes) Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
Kurtis Rexing is very young, just a sixth grader, in fact, but he’s already being called an “inspiration” by his teachers and fellow students.
It’s not a description he’s comfortable with. He really doesn’t care much for the spotlight, but it’s a description that he’s probably earned.
In mid December, he was a typical middle school student, attending St. James School in Haubstadt, which is pretty close to the Rexing family farm. His dad, Kent, is a fourth generation farmer on that land, and his mom hails from a farm near Mount Vernon.
The Rexings own a grain and livestock farm, and the parents and the children all work very hard to keep it going. That day, Kurtis was up early. He went into a silo to stir up the silage for the livestock. In an instant, a small detail changed his life.
His shoelace got caught.
The bolt on the shaft grabbed his shoelace and began wrapping his leg around the shaft. He heard his leg snap twice, and as it continued to be wrapped around the equipment, he jammed a pitchfork into the auger. He attempted to stop it, so his body wouldn’t get pulled into it.
His father quickly realized something was wrong, due to the sound and flow from the silo. When he found Kurtis, he carried him to the truck, and quickly drove him to a hospital in Evansville. That morning, everything was covered with ice, so he had to drive with his door half open so he could see the road.
Kurtis was taken immediately to surgery, and the parents were told that he might lose his foot.
He is called “determined” by the teachers at St. James, and that spirit paid off during his recovery. His principal, Angie Johnson, shakes her head as she talks about his stay in the hospital. When he was asked if he could walk to the bathroom, he replied, “How about I walk down the hallway?”
He’s very “self-reliant,” she said. “He is an inspiration to me and the other students because he doesn’t give up. He’s extremely determined. He just won’t give up.”
Shelley Bealmear is his homeroom teacher. She agrees that Kurtis is an inspiration. “He’s a very unique individual. Many would pity themselves, but he has kept a positive attitude. He’s an inspiration to me.”
When Kurtis returned home from the hospital, there was a discussion about school. At the time, he needed to be kept in isolation because of the risk of infection. He also needed to keep his leg immobilized in a chair.
That’s when his principal suggested a solution: Skype technology. “I knew we needed to find something quick.”
It’s a free service that allows anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to call someone else with the same capabilities; cameras in the computers exchange live video.
Kurtis’ grandfather, Ray Rexing, and an Angel Fund in North Posey County paid for two laptops with webcams, one for Kurtis to use in his home and the second one for St. James School.
That meant that through the magic of technology Kurtis could hear and see what was happening in the classroom as his teachers taught — even though he was actually sitting in a recliner in his home.
So for the past six weeks on school days, he’s been home and he’s been attending school.
“He can participate in classroom discussions,” Bealmear said. “I call on him. He raises his hand like he would do in a classroom.
“We wanted to continue his curriculum, but accommodate his needs. That was our priority. He couldn’t be with the kids because of infection, or have someone bump his leg.” The Skype technology answered his need to stay current with his school work “because it’s like he’s in the classroom.”
His mom, Missy, said she wasn’t familiar with Skype technology when the principal first suggested it. “It’s kind of neat. He gets to see his classmates, and they get to see him.”
His dad calls him a “social bug,” and says it’s been important for Kurtis to be able to see his classmates on a regular basis.
He added, “It’s really neat to be on the cutting edge of technology.” His wife agreed. “Years ago, they would have had to hold him back. This way he can stay up with his class.”
The parents haven’t been told much about their son’s prognosis, but say the support from the community has been “unreal.”
Kent said, “People ask how he is getting along. Even non-Catholics want to put him on their prayer chains.”
Bealmear believes that the accident — and Kurtis’ response to it — “will make him a stronger person in the end.”
Johnson agrees, noting that he has told her that his number one goal is to play football next year.
“He’s from a hard-working farm family, and they instilled that in their kids. Everyone works. He is a very responsible and self-reliant boy,” she said, adding that one of his first questions was “How do I get to Mass?”