Help Katie get an Adaptive Bed

About Katie Jean
This campaign is for our daughter, Katie Jean. She will turn 4 in December. Katie is the youngest of 3. She has an older brother, Noah, and her oldest sibling is her sister, Kori. Everyone in our family was so excited when Katie was born. She was born 5 weeks early on December 21. Almost a Christmas baby! She stayed in the NICU for 13 days learning to breathe and eat on her own. That Christmas and New Year was difficult for us as Katie stayed in the hospital. However, Katie got stronger and healthier everyday and soon we were able to bring her home. She developed normally until around age 2 when we began to notice some regression in her language. Slowly, she lost almost all of the words she was saying. She went from putting 2 words together to only being able to say, "Mamma".  Katie was about 2 years 8 months old when we got her diagnosis. She has a rare disorder called Rett Syndrome. It mainly affects girls. 1 in 10,000 girls are born with Rett Syndrome. Even less boys are born with Rett. For Katie, Rett Syndrome means a possibility of seizures (although she's had none so far), a limited use of her hands and that she cannot speak very well. She says a few words, but mostly communicates through sign language and the use of picture cards to tell us what she wants. But she is working very hard to speak and add more words to her vocabulary! Katie has a difficult time walking. She is unsteady, falls easily, and tires quickly. However, she does like to explore her environment. She loves to climb the stairs at home. She is a very active (& happy) girl!

Katie goes to a special pre-school where she gets to be in a small class of 6 kids who also have special needs. The program is an Autism Program, which incorporates the type of learning she needs. Even though, Katie does not have Autism, she benefits from the program and therapies used at this school. She works so hard to master new skills! Then, Katie has in-home therapy for 3 hours, twice a week, and she has Physical Therapy for one hour, once a week. AND on the days she doesn't have in-home therapy, she goes to her brother's baseball practice. She's a busy girl! 

Why we need your help
Currently, Katie is using a crib for sleeping. We have taken the bottom portion of the crib out so that the mattress can lie flat on the ground inside the crib. This insures that Katie cannot climb out of the crib during the night. Katie is getting taller now though. She is nearly able to  climb out of her crib. She is ready for a bigger bed. However, for Katie's safety, she needs a special bed that will keep her safe throughout the night. One she can't climb out of... or roll out of, especially if Katie has seizures in the future. This is where we need your help. These beds are specially made for kids with special needs like Katie's. Thankfully, we don't need a super fancy bed (one that is motorized or inclines). Just a bed that will keep her safe. The bed Katie needs costs a little over $10,000. Unfortunately, our insurance will not cover the cost of these beds, so it is up to us to find a way to pay for it. This is where you can help. $10,000 is a crazy amount of money! But if you give (even a small amount) it will all add up. Together, we can help Katie!

Thank you for reading about Katie and considering donating to help her get a new bed! Even small donations are much appreciated!!!

Much love, 
The Carter Family
Dan, Carrie, Kori, Noah, and Katie :)