A Burlington County mother is collecting sensory items for students in the Lumberton School District in memory of her 6-year-old son, who drowned last year at a summer camp.Since his death last summer, Enjoli Stewart said she's continued to look for ways to honor her son, Michael Stewart."It's second by second. Some seconds are good; some are not," Stewart said. "But any way that we can recognize him and remember him, we do."She said they've already exceeded their original goal of purchasing 500 items...
A Burlington County mother is collecting sensory items for students in the Lumberton School District in memory of her 6-year-old son, who drowned last year at a summer camp.
Since his death last summer, Enjoli Stewart said she's continued to look for ways to honor her son, Michael Stewart.
"It's second by second. Some seconds are good; some are not," Stewart said. "But any way that we can recognize him and remember him, we do."
She said they've already exceeded their original goal of purchasing 500 items, including fidgets, Play-Doh and noise-canceling headphones, to help Michael's former Lumberton School District classmates.
She's hoping to expand the drive to collect more items, including sensory tents.
"I think he'd be thrilled," Stewart said. "He'd probably ask for a fidget."
Brittney Hall, a board-certified behavior analyst with the Lumberton School District, said sensory items are important to help students regulate their emotions.
"Sometimes when we get sensory overwhelmed, it can lead to big emotional reactions or it can lead to behavior problems," Hall said. "Something like this could just really give them a little calm in their hands."
Stewart said this drive will continue her fight to keep her son's legacy alive.
"It allows us to give back to the community," Stewart said. "It allows us to target a certain audience, whether it's children or adults, in a positive manner."
Stewart will continue planning events and collecting sensor items to celebrate her son. You can catch up with her on her Facebook page "For the Love of Michael Jeffrey" for updates.
Another program Stewart's family is supporting is an effort by members of Lumberton Girl Scout Troop 21340 to dedicate a memorial bench in Michael's memory that's made from recycled plastic.
Over the last year, the rising fourth-grade girls collected and sorted 1,000 pounds of plastic through the "NexTrex Challenge" to build the memorial bench in honor of Michael Stewart.
Brandon Goldner
Brandon Goldner is an award-winning reporter/multiskilled journalist for CBS News Philadelphia, where he primarily covers South Jersey.