Timothy Caruso, BA ’80
Timothy Caruso founded The Kids Equipment Network
Since graduating from UIC in 1980, Tim went on the physical therapy school at Washington University in St. Louis. He has worked at a number of settings since then including University of Chicago, Oak Park Physical Therapy, Shriners Hospital for Children and now at Marklund Wasmond Center. One of his proudest accomplishments was founding The Kids Equipment Network (TKEN) in 2005 with a nurse from Shriners Hospital. TKEN is a 501C-3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing needed durable medical and adaptive equipment to children with special needs, age birth to 21, who have little or no funding at no cost. Since 2005, TKEN has assisted over 2700 children obtain the equipment that they need to maximize independence and improve their quality of life, at no cost! TKEN also “pays it forward” by providing equipment that is in our inventory and getting “dusty” to a number of other organizations including: The Muscular Dystrophy Association's "loaner closet;" the United Cerebral Palsy Equipment program; and other area special education programs. Repurposing TKEN equipment that has not yet been matched with a family increases the utilization of needed equipment in the area, and ensures that equipment is helping local children, instead of waiting for a family who needs it. www.tken.org