Meet the Kids: Charlotte

charlotteRead Charlotte’s story in her mother’s own words:

“Charlotte is a precious typical two year child that just happens to come with physical and cognitive delays. She is very happy and social and loves to be where the action is, but unfortunately unless she is rolling or slowly army crawling she is unable to get there. She has a 1 year old brother who just started walking. Watching Charlotte watch him, is both precious and heart breaking. When I was told about the Go Baby Go program, and that it may be a possibility for our girl, tears came to my eyes. My husband and I so badly want for her to experience the typical pleasures that all toddlers get to experience. She may not be able to climb and run or even sit up in a regular power car but I believe that the Go Baby Go car may be the perfect way for her to be as typical a toddler as possible. Thank you so much for what you do and considering us.”

Let’s get Charlotte behind the wheel! Contact varietykc@gmail.com.

Meet the Kids: Caleb

FullSizeRenderWe would like you to meet Caleb!  A truly tough little fellow with Down’s Syndrome, Transient Leukemia, and AVSD.

Caleb is part of a very loving family, with parents dedicated to his health and progress.
His therapists at the Britain Infant Development Center (where he receives physical, occupational, speech therapies – and participates in toddler class) recommended to Caleb’s parents that an iPad was needed to support his speech and fine motor development. This is not an expense covered by insurance, and wasn’t something his parents could act on immediately.

His therapists explained that with a child as young as Caleb, visual scanning is very important. It is one of the building blocks for further development and learning. In other words, the sooner, the better.

Through the generosity of Variety supporters and partners, we were able to provide these needed tools for Caleb – and some much needed support for his parents. Can you think of anything  more rewarding than helping a child so eager to learn? Give to Varietykc.org

Meet the Kids: Olivia

oliviaWe’ve all heard it, “when you fall down, dust yourself off and try again”.  It’s the definition of perseverance.

Four year old Olivia demonstrates that perseverance daily, at times falling up to 40 times per day.  Olivia became ill when she was just eighteen months old, but was just diagnosed last fall with Episodic Ataxia Type 1. Because her seizures and symptoms would come and go, diagnosis was difficult…and during that time her parents watched and worried as her physical abilities declined.

Thanks to new medications she now has “good days” with very few falls.  It was on one of those “good days” last October, her parents watched Olivia run for the first time.  She is a very caring little girl, loves reading and artwork. She also loves getting mail, so recently she began mailing out pictures to people she cares about.  She calls this, “sending hugs”.

Hand tremors, trunk weakness and falling down are still part of Olivia’s daily life – but her family is committed to not letting Olivia’s illness define her life! And what a life!

Olivia participates in gymnastics, dance, and loves to swim because you can’t fall while swimming.  With all this, one thing was missing. Olivia wanted to ride bikes with her family and friends on the bike path near her home.  There were two challenges with this.  First, what kind of adaptive bike would work for Olivia and second, how could the family afford to pay for this specialized piece of equipment?

That’s where Variety KC comes in.  With numerous resources, Variety will work with the family and healthcare professionals to identify the safest bike for Olivia. Then, following their mission of providing mobility for children right here in the Kansas City area, Variety  will fund Olivia’s new “ride”.

Variety is able to make Olivia’s dream come true through the generosity of our donors and volunteers.  If you would like to learn more about Variety and help a child to be active, be communicative or to be involved – please contact (or click here)

Meet the Kids: Andrew

 

img_20150318_091705Little Andrew Wammack is one happy baby!   He has a loving family, parents with strong faith, a big sister who likes to hold him, a very protective big brother, and a bouncy swing that he adores!

 

He also has Sagittal Craniosynotosis. In short, his skull fused too early, requiring a lot of medical intervention and a special helmet to wear as he heals.  The cost of this helmet is almost $4,000 and as his mother points out, it isn’t one of those items you have time to save up for. Andrew needs that helmet now!

 

Variety is there for kids in emergency situations too!  A therapist at Children’s Mercy contacted Variety about Andrew and through generous Variety donors: Variety was able to get Andrew’s helmet to him before any more critical time passed.  Because of this helmet, and attentive medical care, Andrew can grow safely until he no longer needs it. 

 

If you would like to be one of the donors who make it possible for Variety to help kids FAST, when they need it, contact varietykc@gmail.com.

 

 

Meet the Kids: Sean

img_5772 (1)Seven year old Sean wasn’t suppose to want to ride a bike.  After suffering a stroke when he was two days old, Sean’s parents were told he would never walk, never eat, and never talk.  He does all of those things…and more.  Visual impairment and Cerebral Palsy aren’t enough to stop this superstar.  His parents heard about a remarkable man in Illinois, who, as a result of his own special needs children, has a tremendous amount of information and selection of adaptive bikes.  They went to see The Bike Rack in Chicago and worked with the owner to find a bike that would work for Sean.  They never dreamed that they would go home with a bike that would allow their son, to as he puts it — “Blaze Around.”   Variety is blessed to know so many remarkable kids, their remarkable parents, and through them – wonderful resources for all kids.