Dear Friends and Family,
If you’ve spent time with our Nova girl in a quiet setting, you know she is an inquisitive, funny, and thoughtful four-year-old. She spends her days dancing, singing, cooking and filling our lives with sweetness. But if you’ve only seen her out in the world, you might have wondered why she stays so close to my side all the time and mostly doesn’t speak.
Nova was born with a rare 14q genetic deletion. Because it is rare, research is still limited. Some individuals with this deletion use wheelchairs, are non-verbal, and require lifelong care, while others are able to walk, talk, and live self-sufficiently. For Nova, so far this deletion has meant cognitive, speech, and physical delays, as well as sight, hearing and dental complications. While she is making progress every day, she currently functions almost two years behind her peers.
We believe Nova has so much more to say and do, and we’ve found a path to help her get there. This coming July of 2026, our family is traveling to Bethesda, MD, for Nova to attend intensive, daily therapy at The Floortime Center. Their specialized approach, based on the work of Dr. Stanley Greenspan, focuses on "meeting a child where they are" to build the foundations of speech, social connection, and physical strength. Most importantly, it trains us, her family members, to be the best lifelong supporters she can have.
Our Goal: $16,000
To make this life-changing month possible, we need to raise $16,000 to cover Nova’s intensive therapy tuition and our family's travel expenses (airplane tickets and a car rental).
We already have a beautiful head start:
- $1,000 has been pledged by Nova’s grandmother Jennifer.
- Housing is covered! Jennifer’s cousin Mairi is generously hosting us for the month.
Will you join us in helping Nova reach her full potential?
Whatever amount you can give brings Nova closer to the specialized care she needs during these critical developmental years.
How you can help:
1. Donate: thru GoFundMe.
2. Share: Please pass Nova’s story along to your own circles.
3. Pray: Please keep our family in your hearts and prayers.
Nova is progressing in every area, and we are so hopeful to see what is possible for her with the right support. Please reach out if you have any more questions. And thank you for loving Nova alongside us.
In love and gratitude,
The Maxwell Family
(Nova, River, GeorgiaRose & Jules)
Organizer
