Help Oliver be his best, most wonderful self
Donation protected
Hello, I'm Deanne and I'm lucky enough to be the mother of two wonderful twin teens - Owen and Oliver.
I almost can't believe that in 6 months time, it will be their 18th birthday. And I still can't get over how amazing my wonderful teens are. Born 11 weeks premature they spent 9 weeks in the NICU before coming home. They needed Occupational Therapy (OT) and physical therapy before they could successfully hold their heads up, sit, crawl, and walk. Their autism diagnosis was a huge blessing as it helped explain the enormous challenges they faced with communication, sensory processing, as well as sensory and emotional regulation. Then a couple of years ago, the seizures started. Their epilepsy diagnoses were most definitely NOT a huge blessing.
But despite everything they've gone through and continue to manage, they are two of the sweetest kids I could wish for. Kind, empathetic, funny... and as their mother, it's incredibly important to me that they have the chance to age in place. I want their home to be a safe, accessible, sustainable place, that they know is always here for them. The idea that they would be forced into assisted living or institutionalized long term care, frankly gives me nightmares.
Oliver's most pressing need right now is to have access to spaces of his own, which are both safe and functional. Specifically:
- Our stairs need railings in order to be navigated safely. Oliver was born with hypertonia and one of the long term effects is that he is prone to falling. A stair carpet has been installed but railings are a safety must-have
- Bedroom shelving. One of Oliver's most-loved activities is playing Skylanders. If you're familiar with the game, then you know, this means he has a lot of figurines. In order to sustain his interest in the game, he needs shelves on which he can organize and store his characters and portals
- The creation of a safe, standalone, all-weather, recreational space. Oliver is referring to this as "Olivertopia". We are looking to upgrade the hydro supply to the shed in our backyard, insulate it, fix the grading so water doesn't drain into the shed, install industrial flooring and put up drywall.
Oliver’s epilepsy makes it a challenge for him to spend unsupervised time alone outside of our home. A self-contained space outside of our home would be a safe environment for him to be alone in, while still being within easy reach of his caregivers.
Oliver’s autism results in challenges for him in relation to sensory and emotional self regulation. Access to a space where he can completely control his environment, learn and practice how to safely regulate and express himself, would improve his quality of life immeasurably.
Oliver loves creating in a variety of different media. Art classes, art therapy and art camp are all things he enjoys participating in. Being able to practice, work on art “homework” and craft projects, work on his art journal, as well as have access to a space where he can socialize virtually with his peers, would be extremely beneficial for him.
Developing and exercising his independence is extremely important to Oliver. Whether it’s school, volunteering, or employment opportunities, having a safe place to practice self-regulation, as well as having a space that he is responsible for, would have a very positive impact on his development and sense of self.
Please click here to read more about how you can help us meet our fundraising goal and thank you so much for helping Oliver.
Fundraising team (3)
Deanne Shoyer
Organizer
Hamilton, ON
Shannon Henderson
Team member
Steve Cook
Team member
