By CARMEN CALVIMONTES
STAFF WRITER
PERTH AMBOY: Jose Campos is no longer as housebound as he was just a few weeks ago.
Donations from strangers who read about Jose's plight have helped him gain mobility and continue to develop his interest in computers.
The outpouring by the community climaxed for Jose on Sept. 29, when he attended Empower NJ at First Energy Park in Lakewood, where the keynote speaker was the late Christopher Reeve.
"Jose, come next to me so they can take a picture," Reeve said to the boy.
Reeve, who suffered from spinal-cord damage for several years and died last Sunday, became an instant inspiration to Jose, who wrote a letter about Reeve following the actor's death.
Jose had been invited to the program at the Blue Claws baseball team's stadium to listen to stories of struggle and triumph like his own.
Jose, 13, suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that makes bones so fragile that they break frequently. He came to the United States with his parents, Haydee Ruiz and Cesar Campos, in March 2001 to receive medical treatment and had planned to return to Peru to renew their visas.
"But three days before the trip (to Peru), Jose broke his hip when he opened a door," Ruiz said. "I was carrying him at the time."
Due to the seriousness of the break, Jose had to stay at the hospital, and the family's visa expired in December 2001. They tried to explain the situation to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. To date, the family's legal status has not been resolved. They cannot leave the country because they would not be able to come back to take care of Jose.
Cesar Campos and Ruiz had to leave their five other children in Peru when they brought Jose to the United States, and they have not seen them since.
They talk on the phone and via Internet with their children, but until their immigration status is resolved, the family will remain apart. Jose smiles with hope about the separation: "I hope to see them again someday. It won't be today or tomorrow, but someday."
According to the Shriners Hospitals, Jose "is entitled to receive his medical care until he is 21 (years) of age." The hospital wrote several letters in order to help the Campos family solve their visa dilemma. Besides receiving treatment in Philadelphia, Jose travels every four months to the Shriners Hospital in Boston, where he receives an injection of pamidronate, a medicine that gives his bones more resistance.
Published accounts of his plight attracted the attention of people throughout the state, many of whom have become friends of the Campos family.
When Kenneth Darrow of Fords read the story, he immediately wrote to Jose to offer him assistance. Darrow is owner of Dartronics, a packaging-automation company located in Perth Amboy.
Offers of help also came from Caryl Felicetta, Denise A. Grimm, Luis Romero, Judy Wray, George Kern IV and Pat Mayer.
Felicetta, of Single Throw, an Internet development and marketing company based in Wall, asked Jose to send her a list of the things he needed to continue to learn computing.
Felicetta and Mayer, from the firm Move Ahead1, which is also located in Wall and organizes training seminars, networking and business-exposure events, visited Jose and his parents in Perth Amboy.
The joint effort led to Jose's invitation to the Empower NJ event. Mayer and Felicetta are two of the people who helped Eric Taylor's Empowerment Group and the Lakewood Blue Claws organize the event.
Mayer contacted other people who were interested in getting to know and assist the Campos family. Soon the individual donors began to meet each other.
Terry Quinlisk's Toms River-based firm, Abby Lifts, installed a chairlift in the stairway in Jose's house so that he can get up to the room on the second floor where the family lives. Asegura Travel, based in New Brunswick, has served as interpreters for Jose's parents. Both attended the Blue Claws event.
Before the event began, Jose received a BlueClaws jacket from the baseball team and other gifts from Single Throw CEO Larry Bailin's clients, including an HPphotosmart 245 printer, a CD player, a Microsoft XPprofessional program and a Pin Pocket PC.
When Jose was presented to the audience, Mayer, Bailin and Darrow gave him a check for $1,000, contributed by several people, and a wireless laptop.
Some donors remained anonymous, such as individuals from Commerce Bank and Development Marketing (DEMA) Education.
Ruiz gives prayers of thanks to all.
"I know that God will pour his blessings on each one of them," she said. "There are still people with a good heart.
"Now my son will be able to leave his room," whispered Ruiz.
"As my wife says, we will never end thanking all the nice people who opened their hearts for my family. Tell them, please, tell them that we thank them very much," Cesar Campos said.
"Friendship, your friendship, is the greatest gift that my family could receive," said Ruiz. "Thank you for all the joy you have given Jose." | 
