Help Kate Walk

As a parent, one discovers a different kind of love that cannot be likened to that of having a sibling or friendship. This is the purest form of love – a bond that forms when you look at your kids and realize that you would literally move heaven and earth to ensure they never lack for anything just so they can keep that radiant smile on their face and forever bask in the glow of love and affection. It is a feeling that I know all too well.

Hello everyone. My name is Lilnian and I am a proud mom of one beautiful angel by the name of Kate. She is a breath of fresh air and the light of my life - a bundle of joy that forever keeps me grounded cognizant of the fact that there is magic on earth and that magic is her. No amount of words can truly describe how much she has changed my life for the better and continually does so to this date even 5 years after her birth.

And although this does not make me love my baby girl any less, Kate has Cerebral Palsy. She hasn’t been able to walk ever since she was born but this has never affected her genuine innocence and sincere delight in living and enjoying life to the fullest. Kate is a fun, outgoing, jolly, and brave little girl who loves to help me prepare dinner and play with her friends whenever she can.

Sadly, as a single mom working at a call center, it gets really tough sometimes but  I try to fight through it. Kate complains of difficulties in her joints which is painful for me to see as her mother because there is not much I can do about it; if there was any way I could take all her discomfort and pain away, I would do so in a heartbeat. That said, I always make a point to ensure she lives a normal life like everyone else from preparing breakfast together to spending time with her friends. We also do some range of motion each day to help stretch her muscles.

Kate is fast growing as she gets older, making it harder for me to carry her back and forth due to her weight.  Still, I haven’t lost hope that one day she will be able to walk and realize her dream of walking like her friends. I believe that this goal will be a reality once we are able to get into this stem cell program that I have had my eye on for a while. This will also have a positive impact on our lives, doing away with the difficulties of limited mobility, and allow Kate to have a more productive life. 

Once enrolled in the 6-month stem cell treatment program, Kate will need to go to the hospital 3 times a week. There, they will fix her curved ankles as well as the weakness in her hands and arms so she may be able to eat by herself, among other benefits. As such, we will need to move closer to the hospital and rent a nearby apartment for the entire duration of the treatment in order to make the transition easier for her. However, I cannot make it through this next phase alone. 

Please support my efforts to see to it that Kate gets to take her first steps by herself and many more after that. The funds raised will also help purchase a walker and pay for medicine as we do all it takes to improve Kate’s quality of life. She deserves this chance and so many more after that.

Thank you so much for your generous contributions to this cause and for giving Kate another reason to smile.