Dear Family & Friends,
As most of you may already know, Eric and I are the proud parents of our daughter, Caitlyn known to all of you as "Catie", a beautiful special needs child who at 9 months received a formal medical diagnosis of having Spastic Quadriplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy that affects all her motor skills. Her physical development and speech are severely delayed.
Early in Catie's years, we reached out to Hospital for Special Surgery to help us understand and assist Catie in her development. They were instrumental in introducing Botox to help temporarily loosen the spasticity in her legs. She also obtained AFO's to assist her with walking and back braces to slow the progression of Scoliosis that began to set in. Though Catie made strides she also had her setbacks. As a result of her setbacks the decision to go forward with Double Hip Osteotomy surgery was made and scheduled in March of 2013. The surgery was a blessing and made her gait much straighter. Her hamstrings were also loosened during her hip surgery which allowed her a wider range of motion!
A decision for Spinal Fusion surgery was made on Catie's behalf in September 2014 as the Scoliosis was now affecting her breathing and ability to eat. Just prior to her surgery, as a precaution the insistence of adding a G-tube to assist with liquid feeds was made and done in August of 2014. Caitlyn suffers from night sweats and "burns calories" as she sleeps. Building her weight up has always been difficult for us. She will always have what daddy calls a "models figure". She hardly had any fat on her back and the hospital was concerned if she would not eat and keep up her weight and strength after the surgery it would possibly bring on problems with the incision not closing or healing well. Thankfully her surgery and healing process went well and as planned. She still has her G-tube, it has been helpful with night feeds a swell as administering any meds when ever necessary.
Catie's diagnosis requires the daily aid of several pieces of equipment. One of which is a special adaptive chair and tray to give her the best and safest overall support that will allow her to participate during all activities such as eating, therapy, playtime, doing homework etc.
Catie, now 11 1/2 years old has been a blessing to our family since the day she came into the world. She's brought smiles and happiness to all who have met her and been a part of her continued development!
Our family is reaching out to all of you as we've hit a wall. For the past year Caitlyn has been sitting in a Rifton Adaptive Chair. Unfortunately the chair and its accessories have been discontinued. Her insurance informed us they can not review any requests for a new adaptive chair for another 3 or more years because she became a recipient of a customized "wheelchair" about 2 years ago. The wheelchair came with all the supports she needed. However, the weight and bulkiness of the wheelchair has left us unable to carry it up and down 3 flights of stairs to allow Catie to use it inside our apartment. The wheelchair is used to safely transport Catie on her school bus, ambulette, and other public transportation throughout the day. She sits in her wheelchair while attending school, attending medical appointments as well as getting her around our neighborhood.
Though we've done all we can to accommodate her needs, we've noticed she's no longer comfortable in her current In home adaptive chair and is now in need of a new one. Catie must sit in her adaptive chair as it will offer her the necessary support and comfort to her back and hips and allow her to participate during all activities while receiving the added support her body needs.
Catie can not wait 3 years for us to submit a request to see if her insurance can assist in obtaining a new chair for her. Adaptive equipment can be very expensive and the addition of special parts will only increase the final cost. Our family would like to humbly ask for your assistance in making a donation towards helping us obtain a new Rifton Adaptive Chair for Catie. The cost of the chair along with the needed accessories is $5,306.00.
We are unable to purchase it on our own and are reaching out to everyone who can help us achieve our goal in purchasing the special adaptive chair our Catie so desperately needs. If you can and are able to make a donation to our cause please click on the link below.
Our family, especially Catie so appreciates your time in reading, donating and or sharing our request with your family and friends to help us obtain the funds we need to purchase the new chair. We're sharing photos as well as the quote we obtained from the Rifton website. Together, We can make a difference! I hope and pray you can help us with a donation to purchase this much needed chair for Catie. My family and I thank you in advance. Have a blessed day!
As most of you may already know, Eric and I are the proud parents of our daughter, Caitlyn known to all of you as "Catie", a beautiful special needs child who at 9 months received a formal medical diagnosis of having Spastic Quadriplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy that affects all her motor skills. Her physical development and speech are severely delayed.
Early in Catie's years, we reached out to Hospital for Special Surgery to help us understand and assist Catie in her development. They were instrumental in introducing Botox to help temporarily loosen the spasticity in her legs. She also obtained AFO's to assist her with walking and back braces to slow the progression of Scoliosis that began to set in. Though Catie made strides she also had her setbacks. As a result of her setbacks the decision to go forward with Double Hip Osteotomy surgery was made and scheduled in March of 2013. The surgery was a blessing and made her gait much straighter. Her hamstrings were also loosened during her hip surgery which allowed her a wider range of motion!
A decision for Spinal Fusion surgery was made on Catie's behalf in September 2014 as the Scoliosis was now affecting her breathing and ability to eat. Just prior to her surgery, as a precaution the insistence of adding a G-tube to assist with liquid feeds was made and done in August of 2014. Caitlyn suffers from night sweats and "burns calories" as she sleeps. Building her weight up has always been difficult for us. She will always have what daddy calls a "models figure". She hardly had any fat on her back and the hospital was concerned if she would not eat and keep up her weight and strength after the surgery it would possibly bring on problems with the incision not closing or healing well. Thankfully her surgery and healing process went well and as planned. She still has her G-tube, it has been helpful with night feeds a swell as administering any meds when ever necessary.
Catie's diagnosis requires the daily aid of several pieces of equipment. One of which is a special adaptive chair and tray to give her the best and safest overall support that will allow her to participate during all activities such as eating, therapy, playtime, doing homework etc.
Catie, now 11 1/2 years old has been a blessing to our family since the day she came into the world. She's brought smiles and happiness to all who have met her and been a part of her continued development!
Our family is reaching out to all of you as we've hit a wall. For the past year Caitlyn has been sitting in a Rifton Adaptive Chair. Unfortunately the chair and its accessories have been discontinued. Her insurance informed us they can not review any requests for a new adaptive chair for another 3 or more years because she became a recipient of a customized "wheelchair" about 2 years ago. The wheelchair came with all the supports she needed. However, the weight and bulkiness of the wheelchair has left us unable to carry it up and down 3 flights of stairs to allow Catie to use it inside our apartment. The wheelchair is used to safely transport Catie on her school bus, ambulette, and other public transportation throughout the day. She sits in her wheelchair while attending school, attending medical appointments as well as getting her around our neighborhood.
Though we've done all we can to accommodate her needs, we've noticed she's no longer comfortable in her current In home adaptive chair and is now in need of a new one. Catie must sit in her adaptive chair as it will offer her the necessary support and comfort to her back and hips and allow her to participate during all activities while receiving the added support her body needs.
Catie can not wait 3 years for us to submit a request to see if her insurance can assist in obtaining a new chair for her. Adaptive equipment can be very expensive and the addition of special parts will only increase the final cost. Our family would like to humbly ask for your assistance in making a donation towards helping us obtain a new Rifton Adaptive Chair for Catie. The cost of the chair along with the needed accessories is $5,306.00.
We are unable to purchase it on our own and are reaching out to everyone who can help us achieve our goal in purchasing the special adaptive chair our Catie so desperately needs. If you can and are able to make a donation to our cause please click on the link below.
Our family, especially Catie so appreciates your time in reading, donating and or sharing our request with your family and friends to help us obtain the funds we need to purchase the new chair. We're sharing photos as well as the quote we obtained from the Rifton website. Together, We can make a difference! I hope and pray you can help us with a donation to purchase this much needed chair for Catie. My family and I thank you in advance. Have a blessed day!