Natalie Prescott - Make a life by what you give!
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A thank you note from Natalie Prescott:
Thank you so much for your donation! We are overwhelmed by the generosity. We feel so blessed to be cared about & loved by so many. When Beckham was diagnosed with PMD, I was heartbroken & angry. My mind was consumed with all the things he couldn’t do. I was mad at God. “Why is this happening to my little boy?” “This isn’t fair!” When we were at Duke, a lady walked up to me & asked if I was Beckham’s mom. Her son also has PMD. She had been following Beck’s story on FB & they had seen us at the RMH. With tears in her eyes she said, “I pray every day that one day my son will be able to do all the things that Beckham can do.” And just like that, my whole perspective changed. I had been so focused on what Beck couldn’t do,I wasn’t grateful for all the things he can do. I vowed to stop focusing on the things he can’t do & focus on being grateful for all that he can do. I try to incorporate that mindset into all areas of my life. I believe God gives us opportunities to learn & grow through adversities we face. An important part of that learning is being able to face challenges with gratitude. The struggles have made me who I am & helped me grow in many areas of life. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”(Eckhart Tolle)Is this the life I would have chosen for Beckham? No. Am I grateful for this journey we’re on? Absolutely. I believe God sends all our special needs kiddos to us on special assignments. They’re not here for their own benefit. They’re here to teach us and help us become who we need to be. Beck has taught me what’s important in life. He’s made me a better person. He’s taught me resilience; unconditional love; & that life’s too short to fight over petty things. He’s still training me on patience.Thank you for allowing us to share a small part of our lives with you & for being a blessing in ours.
Love, Natalie, Hudson, Beckham, & Hawk
“We’re all just walking each other home.” -Ram Dass
*** New Goal - $20,000! (More details at bottom of summary)***
Summary of the fundraiser and pictures of Natalie and her Family.
If ever there was a time to donate to someone in need, this is it! Please share this link with your family, friends, co-workers.
Winston Churchill said "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Our friend Natalie is a living example of this statement. She works sun up to sun down serving her 3 kids, her community, her special needs students and everyone she ever comes in contact with. She will literally give til she has nothing left to give, and she has. Now, Natalie could use OUR help, and we're hoping all of our amazing friends can rally around her. Let me tell you a little bit about Natalie and her boys:
- Natalie is a single mother of three boys: ages 4, 10, and 13.
- Her 10-year-old son, Beckham, has Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a rare genetic disorder affecting myelin production.
- Natalie moved to Utah from her home state of Arkansas five years ago to be close to Primary Children's Hospital for Beckham's treatments.
- She previously lived in Durham, NC, for access to top pediatric programs at @Duke University before relocating to Utah for additional studies and treatments at Primary Children's Hospital.
- Natalie worked 25-30 hours/week as a Special Ed substitute teacher to have flexibility for Beckham's hospital treatments.
- She recently accepted a full-time Special Ed teaching position, starting night school to get her special ed certification. Sarah met her at the elementary school when she began working as one of her teachers aids.
- Last month Natalie found out she was losing Beckham's supplemental security income ($661 per month - Updated Amount) due to exceeding the 'countable income,' disqualifying her from several assistance programs.
- In addition to losing Beckham's monthly SSI, she is now required, as per SS Administration, to repay about $7k+ in funds received back to the beginning of 2023. She was offered a payment plan that would take 23 years to payoff. Not an option!
- As result of Natalie working full time and a small paperwork error, she just found out that she is also losing Beckhams Medicaid coverage which pays for all of his many medications, hospital visits, feeding tube equipment, etc...
- After losing all of that financial support, she is now facing eviction due to a significant rent increase. This paired with losing SSI has made it impossible for Natalie to stay in her current apartment.
- Despite her own challenges, Natalie selflessly gave away belongings, including her kitchen table, to a refugee family in need. She felt bad that she didn't have anything else to give, but told her boys "you always look for ways that you are able to help someone else".
- Beckham's PMD causes neurological symptoms, making him wheelchair-bound and requiring ongoing care.
- Every fall break when her parents come out from Arkansas to visit she finds a race to participate in. She makes sure it is something she most likely will not be able to finish (she's done a 50 miler 100 miler etc....) just to remind her that every day is a huge struggle for Beckham and the kids that she teaches. She goes til she literally can't go another step just to "walk a mile (or 30) in their shoes. And remind herself to never take for granted what she is able to do.
- After school, Natalie picks up her kids and returns to her classroom, dedicating additional hours to required training and paperwork, adding 5-8 hours per week on top of her full-time teaching responsibilities.
- Beckham is a diehard football fan... His two favorite football teams, The Utes and Duke.
Now, let's join forces to raise over $15,000 for Natalie and her family, providing crucial support during this difficult time. Your contributions will help ensure stability, cover medical expenses, and create a better future for Natalie, Beckham, and their family. Together, we can make a meaningful impact!
For more information on Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease
***New Goal - Summary***
We are completely blown away by the amount of love everyone has. In 31 hours we not only met, but exceeded the goal of $15,000! ❤️
If you read through the summary, you know Natalie is going to need closer to $30,000 to pay back the $7,000 she is has to pay back to SSA, and cover the future loss of SSI, Medicare, Head Start Preschool etc…
We received some advice, and decided to raise the goal to $20,000.
Please share(even for a 2nd or 3rd time) with everyone you feel comfortable sharing with. It's truly a Christmas Miracle for this loving, devoted, never gives up Mama! Thank you so much!! - Sarah
Last night right after we hit the original goal of $15k, someone said to me. "Since when have we been content with only achieving 100% of our goal(s)?"
I say we humbly do all we can to make this go viral; and then may we stand still and witness the Spirit of Christmas and the Power of God be revealed to us.
Original Goal - $15,000
Accelerators:
$20,000 = 133%
$22,500 = 150%
$25,000 = 166%
$27,500 = 183%
$30,000+ = 200%+
-Brett
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Garner
Organizer
Farmington, UT
Natalie Prescott
Beneficiary