When our daughter, Elizabeth, was very young, she was diagnosed with Selective Mutism, a condition that causes her to freeze up and not be able to speak in select situations. Over the years, we have used dance as a type of therapy for her. It is an area of strength, and it gives her opportunities to work on overcoming her mutism and to build her communication/social skills. Elizabeth has now reached a level in ballet (Level 5 of 6) that requires several days of classes per week. Additionally, she is interested in participating in a program called Student Company, which will enable her to have a higher level of intensity in her classes and participate in community events as well. Deciding to participate in Student Company is a big step for Lizzie as it will require her to step out of her comfort zone and speak to people in a variety of situations; however, she feels she is ready for this challenge. We agree that she is ready and that this will be good for her overall development.

This level of higher participation comes with an equally higher price tag, and past avenues of funding are no longer available to us this year. Since taking his current job in 2021, Eddie often gets asked if we need financial support. Eddie receives a salary and doesn’t need to raise his own support; however, we now have this need, which exceeds our normal budget. As many people have requested to be informed about our financial needs, we have decided to create a GoFundMe page, allowing anyone who wishes to contribute to do so. Any money we raise would go directly to pay for Lizzie’s dance class tuition, Student Company fees, and other dance-related expenses, such as Pointe shoes.

God is so faithful, and He has provided for our family over the years in some pretty amazing ways. We trust Him to continue to provide for us now. If you do not feel led or are unable to give financially, we would still very much appreciate your prayers for our family.