Autistic children in eastern Kentucky are among those who’ll benefit from more than $26 million in grants announced at the Shaping Our Appalachian Region conference in Corbin Wednesday. Donovan Blackburn is the president and CEO of Pikeville Medical Center, which will receive 2-point-76 million to expand their Appalachian Valley Autism Center there and in Floyd County.
“Every day we see more and more kids that are on the spectrum and need help and with over 700 kids on the waiting list. And we're looking at ways to expand services.”
Blackburn is the grandfather of an autistic child – Ava – for whom the Appalachian Valley Autism Center was named. He said he wants every child in the region to receive the help Ava did.
“She's a level one, very high functioning. And by now she is a very happy six-year-old girl in the first grade and very bright, very intelligent, top of our class, just doing a great job.”
The $26.6 million dollars in grants announced at the SOAR conference come from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program. Blackburn said some of the AVA Center grant will be used to hire more employees.
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