The Chamorro Family

Here is my story. This family needs our help!  My name is Lynn Hoffman. I moved to Bonita Springs, Florida last summer.  I am a Special Education teacher who works with 3 "“ 5 year olds with developmental delays. I met my assistant, Michon Chamorro when school began and immediately knew she was a special person. As I got to know Michon, I also got to know about her son, appropriately named Angel Chamorro at birth, known to those who know him as A. J. He is a happy 10 year old boy who has severe Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. His mother, Michon, had a normal pregnancy until the 29th week when she went into premature labor. A. J. was born at 2 lb. 10 oz. and was 15 inches long. He suffered from an intraventricular brain hemorrhage at birth. Since leaving the hospital almost 3 months, he has lived with his mother, father, brother and sister in a 2 bedroom apartment in Estero, Florida. A. J. shares a room with his parents. He is in 3rd grade in a Life Skills Class at the school where we work. A. J. is getting bigger. He cannot do anything without the assistance of another person. He has a one-on-one teacher assistant while at school, but the other 136 hours in the week, his parents take care of his every need, including feeding him, changing him, bathing him and moving him from one position to another and transporting him in their older model Dodge van. Michon cares for A. J. most of the time when he is not at school, but, she also works a second job a Publix some evenings and A. J.'s dad cares for him. Dad works as plasterer. With no benefits, when it rains, he does not get paid. A. J. needs to sit in a special car seat and his mom lifts him out of his wheelchair and into the car seat. A. J. cannot support himself at all, as he has no muscle control in any part of his body. He is suffering from subluxation of both hips, therefore, this summer, A. J. will be having two hip replacements to help him be able to sit. I am asking you to help fund this project to allow A. J.'s parents the money needed for a van with a lift for his wheelchair so he can stay in the chair and not need to be lifted into a car seat. A couple of months ago, I asked Michon how she will be able to lift him as he gets bigger and she said she did not even have time to think about that yet. That is when I felt that part of God's plan for me was to be here and take the initiative to try and help get some help for the Chamorro family. With help from Medicaid, A. J. is now in a mobilized wheelchair, but it is too heavy to lift and does not fit in the van they currently have. A van with a lift is very expensive and they need our help. There is a place in our area that deals in lifts, used vans with lifts and new vans with lifts. We will use whatever donations we receive to help purchase a van with a lift for this family. Please donate whatever you can:no amount is too small, because it all adds up for a wonderful cause. Thank you.