Drive Hailey Grace Smith to Therapy
Hailey Grace Smith Working Hard To Sell Kool Aid to Buy a Wheelchair Accessible Van For Her!
Young girl selling Kool-Aid to raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van
Hailey Grace Smith, 6, needs a vehicle with a lift for her power wheelchair
By Jesse Johnston, CBC News Posted: Aug 28, 2017 1:14 PM PT Last Updated: Aug 28, 2017 1:14 PM PT
Hailey Grace Smith, 6, has been selling Kool-Aid to raise money for a vehicle with a lift for her power wheelchair. (Bobbie Jo Toews)
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Hailey Grace Smith has spent her last two Sundays selling Kool-Aid at a booth in front of her home in Surrey.
The six-year-old is trying to raise enough money to buy a van that can be outfitted with a lift for her power wheelchair.
"She made $78," her mother, Bobbie Jo Toews said with a laugh.
"She's a little short."
Hailey has a severe case of sacral agenesis, which is a congenital disorder that affects the development of the lower spine. She was born without her tailbone, L4 and L5 vertebrae and she has club feet.
She had been using canes to walk but she tires easily, so her family was thrilled when the Red Cross recently donated a power wheelchair.
The problem is Toews' van is outdated and doesn't meet the specifications required to be outfitted with a lift.
Plus, the transmission blew recently and the repair bill is more costly than the van itself.
"Trying to keep everything up for Hailey and getting her to appointments on time hasn't been going very well," Toews said.
"The van has left us stranded a couple of times."
Toews says Hailey has medical appointments and participates in several therapy programs in Vancouver and Chilliwack.
She hopes her family can either raise enough money to buy a new van or find someone with a used model who isn't using it anymore.
"She is the best spirited kid there possibly is," Toews said.
"She doesn't know the extent [of her condition] yet. She's an amazing little girl."
Hailey Grace Smith was born with a rare form of Sacral Agenesis, also Cleft lip & partial palette along with Club feet. Hailey is missing her L4 , L5 , and her Sacrum and walks short distances with the assistance of arm crutches.
The Red Cross has donated a power wheelchair to Hailey Grace Smith as using her crutches makes her tire easily.
The issue were having is neither one of us has the credit to make payments on a brand new van. Our van is on her last legs and they cannot put a lift in our existing van.
We have raised the $35.000.00 for the cost of putting in a manual lift into a brand new van.
Once we have reached our goal for the cost of a new van it should last 10 years!
We're raising this money for our daughter Hailey Grace Smith.
DRIVING OUR LITTLE ANGEL TO HER APPOINTMENTS, THERAPY, SCHOOLING &
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IS A NECESSITY!
HAILEY'S TEMPERATURE IS OFTEN VERY TOUCHY AND SHE SUFFERS FROM MOTION SICKNESS MORE OFTEN THEN NOT. WHO WANTS TO GO AROUND ON GRAVOL ALL THE TIME? not me
Hailey Grace Smith doesn't have her completed spinal cord or nerves and this makes life quite challenging at times .
Therapy is so important for Hailey
CKNW SPONSORED HAILEY FOR 2 YEARS OF RIDING LESSONS AT PONY PALS THERAPUTIC RIDING IN DELTA without it she wouldn't be able to walk the way she does and shes free as a bird when shes running or hopping AWAY playing tag.
Over the past year our family has had significant loss and no parents should have to loose their child.
My 21 year old son Jeffrey Richard Toews died Febuary 21,2017 Hailey, Kristen and Jordan lost their big brother.
4 months later we lost another family member Jewelz our beloved Frenchbulldog went over the rainbow bridge suddenly.
