Kylie Torres is the four-year-old daughter of our neighbors, Kelly and Manny Torres. Kelly and Manny are the owners and operators of Alcapurrias, a restaurant that has served home cooked Puerto Rican food across the street from Nowadays, in Ridgewood, Queens, since 2014.

 

Last year, in the midst of New York's lockdown, Kylie received a diagnosis of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes severe developmental impairments. We organized a Gofundme campaign to support therapies for Kylie in 2020. These therapies produced results. Not able to walk or speak before the therapies began, Kylie made progress in mobility and speech.

 

Though the therapies were effective, they were also expensive, and the funds raised in the first campaign were depleted. Compounding the family's struggle to afford the care Kylie needs, they also lost the lease on the space where they've run Alcapurrias for seven years, and with it, the ability to generate income.

 

Now, unable to afford the care, the Torres family has had no choice but to cease with the therapies, and sadly, Kylie's status has regressed. When she had access to regular speech therapy, Kylie was beginning to make sounds. Without that therapy, she has returned to silence, and new troubles with breathing and eating have developed.

 

When Kylie turns five, she will have access to public school programs that will provide her with much of the care she needs, but until then, without funds and without insurance to cover her therapies, the Torres family needs support to provide a bridge of care. $40,000 was the initial goal to get Kylie the therapy that she needs until autumn, when school begins, but based on the strong response we have gotten, and the knowledge the Rett Syndrome will be something that Kylie and her family will have to deal with for a long time, we have increased the goal to $50,000, in hopes of raising more money for future care and security for the family.

 

We are beginning the fundraising with a contribution of $5,000 from Nowadays. We hope you will join us in supporting our neighbors and giving sweet Kylie and her lovely family the kind of care and support that everyone deserves.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please drop a line at hello *at* nowadays.nyc. Thank you for reading, giving and sharing.