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        The 16th annual Wish List, a Cincinnati Enquirer project to raise money for local needy people, begins today with a four-page special section in Tempo.

        “What's special about the Wish List is that people get things that are really helpful, like a feeding machine or a lift that helps a disabled person get into a car, things that are very much about quality of life,” said Carol Aquino. She is vice president of communications for United Way, which administers the project.

Brothers Tony and Ronald Maddy need a device to lift them into chairs (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        For brothers Tony and Ronald Maddy, quality of life would improve with a wheelchair ramp to their College Hill home. Without a ramp, wheelchairs remain in the garage and 16-year-old Tony and 22-year-old Ronald spend their time on the living room floor. It's where they eat, play games, bathe and get dressed.

        The brothers can't walk and have trouble sitting up, their bodies weakened by cerebral palsy and a rare genetic disorder. Their father, Bob, a machine operator for a chemical company, and mother Debbie, who suffers from back problems and asthma, can't afford the ramp or the lift device needed to move the brothers safely into and out of their wheelchairs.

        Since 1986, Enquirer readers have donated $2.07 million to the Wish List. Last year a record $207,250 was raised.

        To donate, call the United Way Helpline: (513) 721-2700.

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