Kids grant small wishes for paralyzed veterans in Palo Alto

After four years in the same bed at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Palo Alto, Tom Parks said he welcomes a break from the routine.

All the better if the break involves fried scallops.

That’s what he got Wednesday morning when about two dozen students from JLS Middle School used their Veterans Day holiday to bring gifts and sing to paralyzed vets in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System’s spinal cord injury unit. The students were among more than 100 who helped out at six local organizations as part of a family service day organized by the JLS PTA and the nonprofit Youth Community Services. Continue Reading »