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Derek Nieland
Rapid City, S.D.
2001 South Dakota CMN Champion
Derek Nieland is a young man with a smile on his face
and a can-do attitude. Born two months premature, Derek
battled respiratory distress during the first weeks of
his life in Rapid City Regional Hospital's Neanatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He was soon diagnosed with
cerebral palsy. As the years have passed, Derek's
tightly contracted muscles have been relaxed with
medication and strengthened through physical and
occupation therapy at the Black Hills Rehabilitaion
Hospital.
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The equipment in the NICU and the equipment needed for his therapy
sessions were purchased through community donations to CMN. Today,
Derek's progress has made him more confident and he is constanly on
the go. He is strong supporter of CMN, having appeared yearly on the
local broadcast and in advertisements for the Great Black Hills Duck
Race. One of Derek's proudest moments was meeting the President of the
United States as a CMN representative in 2001.
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