Recipients

Jocelyn Cooper Jacey Cooper is a seven year old girl with severe cerebral palsy and mental retardation. She was born three months premature. She contracted spinal meningitis three weeks after her birth which destroyed sixty percent of her brain. Her parents were told she would never survive the next three weeks. But she did. And seven years later, she is a great joy to their lives. However, she is getting big! Her wheelchair does not fold down or collapse and it will not fit into the family car. So they asked for a collapsible stroller. The insurance company would not pay for the collapsible stroller because it was not medically necessary; it is considered to be a luxury. It is a lightweight, foldable stroller so that Jacey can go wherever her parents want to take her. What a difference it will make to all of them!
Our second recipient of this foundation was a premature surviving twin girl, who is dependent on a mechanical ventilator to breathe for her. She was in the hospital for many months before she could even go home. When she was finally medically stable enough to go home, she still couldn't because her home was not wired for the electrical needs of her ventilator and other necessary equipment. Through Alpine Medical, we were able to finance an electrician to upgrade her home's wiring, and she is now home with her family. (Her parents did not wish her name to be given out, so we cannot print it.)
Steven Tull Stevie is a 14 year old boy from Seaford, Delaware, who is diagnosed with Pelazaeus Merzbacher Syndrome and visual impairment. He is non-ambulatory and is dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. He now has a motorized wheelchair and his school bus is even equipped with a lift, which gives him great mobility and independence at school. However, he is not as mobile and independent at home as his family cannot transport his motorized wheelchair. His family asked us for a wheelchair lift for the family van so Stevie's wheelchair, could be lifted into the van, so he can travel with his family in and around his community. We paid for the majority of this request, and the family found other resources to pick up the rest. So now Stevie can be mobile and independent everywhere he goes!
Justin Dowdy Our fourth foundation recipient is J.D., a 14 year old male with Asperger's Syndrome (autism), Attention Deficit Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He is being raised by his grandparents and lives in Huntington, West Virginia. Horseback riding (hippotherapy) was recommended for coordination, sensory issues and to encourage positive socialization. We granted a request to receive hippotherapy at River Cities Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc., with riding one day per week for 18 weeks.
Daniel Harshman Daniel will be 10 years old in August and he lives with his mother in Clarkston, Washington. Daniel was diagnosed with M-CAD & Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Daniel's mother sold their vehicle so she could get a used van but they were unable to afford the power wheelchair lift that Danny required. Our organization coordinated with the medical equipment company in Clarkston, Washington and recently provided the necessary funds for the modifications to be made to Danny's van.
Gavin Matthews Our last recipient for the summer was Gavin Matthews. Gavin lives in Wichita Kansas and is four years old. At 18 months of age, he was diagnosed with “Optiz FG” syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that affects the muscle tone and causes various defects. One problem is that the digestive tract does not function properly and Gavin was unable to chew food so he had a feeding tube from the time he was 8 weeks old, until he was 18 months old. This also limited his ability to learn to talk. His physician suggested intensive therapy that could be obtained at a specialized feeding clinic. He was accepted into The Center for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Day Treatment Program at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. www.feedingcenter.org His Mother approached us for assistance to help with all the costs involved with housing, travel, and food expenses while at the Day Program in New Jersey. The Board voted to help Gavin and he made great progress at The Feeding Center. He is drinking 1.5 cups of milk, up from 2 teaspoons and is learning to eat better each day. To make sure he maintains his progress he will need to return to N.J. in 8-10 months. In the meantime, they mail video tapes back and forth to monitor hisimprovements.
Keishla Lopez Keishla Lopez is a surviving twin that is now 10 years old and is diagnosed with static encephalopathy, spastic quadriplegic cere-bral palsy, global develop-mental delays, intractable epilepsy, and has a G-tube to assist her nutrition. She lives with her Mom and two sisters in Hollister Florida, and is described as a loving and inspiring daughter. Because of Keishla’s condition, her Mom can only work part-time, as Keishla requires a lot of care. They had to purchase another van and needed to have their wheelchair lift transferred to their current van. Her family needed assistance for the final payment on the lift. Her Social Worker referred her to us, and after review of the application, it was discussed and approved.

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