Donate to purchase Wagons for Fairhaven and friends!

My name is Rachele Long. I am a mom of a 5-year-old autistic boy named Waylon and a 3-year-old girl named Elsie. I have spent years looking for a safe way to transport my son ever since he outgrew standard strollers. After looking at Wonderfold stroller wagons for over a year, I could finally afford an open-box deal during the black Friday special. I ordered the W2 Luxe Stroller Wagon for my son, elopes, and it is now 80 pounds. He has run into traffic and has almost been hit by cars. We had to install an adult race car harness onto his booster seat to safely keep him in the vehicle. I finally saved enough to order one of the discounted wagons; it did not disappoint. From the moment I put it together, it was life-changing. I know that sounds a bit exaggerated, but I don't think most people understand what autism families deal with. We are also a military family. I am a 20-year veteran who still serves, and my husband is a retired veteran. We were always a very active family, and since our son started to walk, that part of our lives has almost stopped. We cannot take him out of the house for fear he will run away or get hurt. Our home has pin code locks on all doors and windows (inside) to keep him from leaving. This is all normal in our world, as it is for many like us. It is a very isolating life. I cannot take him to the grocery store because he cannot fit in a shopping cart. I cannot go to a playground because when he melts down from sensory issues, he is too large for me to get back to the car. This has made all those things possible. The things that attracted me to this due to my child's safety and sensory issues were the high sides and harness to keep him in and avoid the temptation to climb over the side. The seat is tight around him, and it "squeezes" him a bit (this is calming for many autistic children; compression is a sensory stimulation they like). The snack tray allows him to use his tablet and have his snacks, and his sister can also enjoy time with him. Something I was happy about as a mother- my child could participate in the world again; he could go to the grocery store, and we could use the wagon as a grocery cart; I could let him practice his therapy skills like choosing foods and being in public places with strange noises and sounds, let him use his skills to navigate these environments. I can safely get him to the never-ending therapy sessions and doctor appointments in substantial medical centers with parking decks. I used to carry him at 80 pounds and stop at points to wrestle or drag him, fighting back tears and watching everyone judge us as I sat on the concrete floor of a parking lot, rocking my son to calm him down. I sit here trying to write this out, wiping the tears away, thinking about how difficult his life is at no fault of his own and how happy he was when he started to enjoy his "new environment." I call it that because it is a space he has; he takes his things to it and goes in it for naps, to calm down, and to eat. I know this sounds silly to say, but as his mother, to see a nonverbal child who is aggressive and has several self-harm tendencies calm down is fantastic. My 5-year-old loves this wagon; when I get him home from school, he will get a snack, blanket, and tablet, climb in the front zipper, get in the chair, and relax. To me, this is something I cannot put into words. For a child who usually beats his head into the floor or wall, is screaming and crying because he is unable to regulate himself, this is a feeling I cannot explain. I never in my lifetime thought I would be navigating a world with a special needs child and trying to balance his needs and still be sure to give equal attention to my other child. This has brought peace to our home and allowed us to join the world again after years of being locked away. I told his school how amazing this has been for us. He attends a special needs school called Fairhaven Elementary in Niles, Ohio. Fairhaven Preschool offers a full-day, integrated educational program for children ages 3-5, including those who receive services through an individualized education program (IEP) and those who do not. The preschool serves approximately 120 students and provides various therapies, including speech, occupational, physical, and hearing impairment, as well as vision/mobility services as needed based on IEPs. Students receive a well-rounded education focusing on developmental and academic skills, including learning to cope with emotions, share, take turns, and develop fine and gross motor skills. They provide everything for these students, from speech, physical, and occupational therapy to swimming. The staff members are fantastic, and they are so creative in finding ways to help our children. The amount of love and compassion they have for every single student is part of what keeps hope in my heart on the hard days. The days when I feel the world has defeated my family, and I wonder why this is what my child must deal with and why all these children must endure these struggles. These staff members are our shoulder to cry on; they are our resource, our strength. Something like this would be a fantastic gift for a school that does so much for many. This factuality is essential to us and, more importantly, our children. They love them as if they were their own. These wagons would be the perfect way for the staff to safely transport the children to therapy and class, allowing them to have peace of mind knowing they were safe. I wanted to raise money to donate these wagons to the school. These children are exceptional, and if my son reacted this way, I know the other children would. I could sit here and go on and on about how this has changed things for him; words cannot describe it for a nonverbal child who does not show emotion to smile, and be calm, and relax, stop doing self-harm. As a parent, you have no idea how this makes me feel. Thank you for reading our story.