A Wish for the Williams Family
Donation protected
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know and love the Williams family over the past year. Mikayla and Robert are two of the most amazing children that I have ever met. As for their mother, Cheryl, all I can say about her is that she is super-woman.
In 2014 at the age of 9, Mikayla was diagnosed with Limb Girdle 2C Muscular Dystrophy. One year later at the age of 8, her brother Robert was diagnosed with the same thing. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a diverse group of neuromuscular disorders with many subtypes known to cause muscle weakness and wasting. The amount of muscle weakness and loss that Mikayla has suffered thus far, has made it impossible to lift even the smallest items, or raise her arms. She is bound to a wheelchair and requires Cheryl’s assistance for everything. Robert is able to walk, at a slow pace and for short distances, with Cheryl supporting his underarms. Sadly, it won’t be long until he is also wheelchair bound.
Both children know what it is like to be able to run around on the play ground, jump into a pool on a hot summer day, and everything else that others take for granted. Their lives have changed drastically, as they now have to sit on the side lines and watch others partake in activities that they were once able to be a part of. They have been through a lot, and the journey for them has just begun. Robert and Mikayla both participate in physical therapy multiple times per week and travel to Syracuse to see a neurologist at least once every 3 months. Every task that they complete is difficult and Cheryl is needed to assist in every one, from using the bathroom, to needing to be rolled over in the middle of the night.
The Make a Wish foundation was prepared to give Mikayla her wish to travel to Clearwater, Florida with her family to meet Winter the dolphin. It was stated by one of her doctors that LGMD is not a terminal illness which made her unable to get her wish. There may not be a projected number of how many months or years these children have to live, but their life as they once knew it has been taken from them by this debilitating disease.
Please help me grant Mikayla her wish and send her family to Clearwater, Florida. My hope is to cover travel expenses, food, lodging, and a little bit of spending money while in Florida. I have been in contact with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and they are going to schedule a meet and greet with Winter, as well as waive admission fees.
I am hoping to raise more than enough money to grant Mikayla’s wish. There are still parts of their home that are not fully handicap accessible because the funds for all of the extensive remodeling are not available. Any funds that may not be needed for the trip, will be used to make these necessary upgrades to make day-to-day living as easy as possible for this family.
Originally, I was not going to set up a Go Fund Me account because I was hoping to keep this a secret from Mikayla and her family. However, after sharing this with a few close friends, I realized that the best way to grant Mikayla her wish is to share this with as many people as possible.
It is my hope that with your help, an amazing Christmas gift can be given to the Williams family. For those of you who know me, know how compassionate I am about the things that mean the most to me. I appreciate the support and no donation is too small!
If you can’t afford to donate, please share!
In 2014 at the age of 9, Mikayla was diagnosed with Limb Girdle 2C Muscular Dystrophy. One year later at the age of 8, her brother Robert was diagnosed with the same thing. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a diverse group of neuromuscular disorders with many subtypes known to cause muscle weakness and wasting. The amount of muscle weakness and loss that Mikayla has suffered thus far, has made it impossible to lift even the smallest items, or raise her arms. She is bound to a wheelchair and requires Cheryl’s assistance for everything. Robert is able to walk, at a slow pace and for short distances, with Cheryl supporting his underarms. Sadly, it won’t be long until he is also wheelchair bound.
Both children know what it is like to be able to run around on the play ground, jump into a pool on a hot summer day, and everything else that others take for granted. Their lives have changed drastically, as they now have to sit on the side lines and watch others partake in activities that they were once able to be a part of. They have been through a lot, and the journey for them has just begun. Robert and Mikayla both participate in physical therapy multiple times per week and travel to Syracuse to see a neurologist at least once every 3 months. Every task that they complete is difficult and Cheryl is needed to assist in every one, from using the bathroom, to needing to be rolled over in the middle of the night.
The Make a Wish foundation was prepared to give Mikayla her wish to travel to Clearwater, Florida with her family to meet Winter the dolphin. It was stated by one of her doctors that LGMD is not a terminal illness which made her unable to get her wish. There may not be a projected number of how many months or years these children have to live, but their life as they once knew it has been taken from them by this debilitating disease.
Please help me grant Mikayla her wish and send her family to Clearwater, Florida. My hope is to cover travel expenses, food, lodging, and a little bit of spending money while in Florida. I have been in contact with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and they are going to schedule a meet and greet with Winter, as well as waive admission fees.
I am hoping to raise more than enough money to grant Mikayla’s wish. There are still parts of their home that are not fully handicap accessible because the funds for all of the extensive remodeling are not available. Any funds that may not be needed for the trip, will be used to make these necessary upgrades to make day-to-day living as easy as possible for this family.
Originally, I was not going to set up a Go Fund Me account because I was hoping to keep this a secret from Mikayla and her family. However, after sharing this with a few close friends, I realized that the best way to grant Mikayla her wish is to share this with as many people as possible.
It is my hope that with your help, an amazing Christmas gift can be given to the Williams family. For those of you who know me, know how compassionate I am about the things that mean the most to me. I appreciate the support and no donation is too small!
If you can’t afford to donate, please share!
Organizer
Angela Marie
Organizer
Binghamton, NY
