I'm making this on behalf of a close friend and family that has become SO near and dear to my heart. Not only to my heart, but to the hearts of many other families and organizations in our area. I think that one thing that we can all agree on is that Lyla's mission to help give kids on the spectrum a safe place to play, while also hosting a fun place for our non-spicy friends to play, is nothing short of absolutely beautiful. The inclusion and her dedication that has been brought into the gym and the way she works with these kids (spicy or not) is by far unmatched by any other individual I have ever met in my life. That's why I became a volunteer Ms. Rachel character at the gym. I don't make money for my appearances, because my mission is to help keep this gym afloat. I have never seen anyone go to such great lengths to make sure that everyone that steps foot into the We Rock The Spectrum Gym in Fenton feels like nothing less than family. We have brought Ms. Rachel character, Bluey, Olaf, Marshall along with many more friends in hopes that it will help us grow and people realize how beautiful this side of life can actually be. That, along with my daughter's autism diagnosis, made me want to be an advocate for our friends of all abilities also. She inspired me.

Which brings me to the point of this GoFundMe page. I'm making it as I know that Mike and Lyla would never ask for the help themselves. They have invested SO much into the gym. In addition to Mike losing his job back in February, he has not been able to find a new one, regardless of trying every single day. Mike is a government worker, and as I'm sure a lot of you may know, that is a tough job to have in this country right now. The only way he can get a job now is to go from a senior-level job back to an entry-level job, which also means scaling down significantly. So much so that they have actually risked the financial stability for themselves and their disabled sons. Joey, one of their sons, is on the spectrum, and the other son, Xander, faces multiple obstacles such as CP, autism, etc. Now they are facing the option of whether to move and downsize in hopes of saving themselves, and also being able to remain owners of We Rock the Spectrum - Fenton. Or potentially having to move back home where Mike can get his old job back, securing more financial stability for them. As you can see, this is a horrible decision to put anyone in. To make them choose between continuing their passion of helping those in need here, and just moving back to keep a roof over their head seems so unfair. I know personally that Lyla and Mike Novakowski have given back a lot to the community. So I am making this in hopes that we can all pull together and help them also. They need our help. To repair the roof, and entire side of the house from the storm damage, also some interior maintenance so it can be ready to sell. Then, hopefully they can find something cozy nearby to downsize to, and not have to leave. Throughout all this, Lyla has been striving to raise enough money to build an accessible rock wall at the gym (only 1k away from so I will add that in) while continuing to work to keep the staff. She is constantly planning fun and educational things like the Fire Safety event with Marshall tomorrow. Or on any given day, camp, a field trip, or a birthday, only to add only a few. My daughter has come SO far in just one short year since her diagnosis, and I know in my heart and soul that this gym and its beautiful owner is one of the main reasons why. Simply hitting the share button is enough to show that you care. I am completely aware that not everyone will be able to help donate and that's okay. But my daughter's "third home" and gym family is in jeopardy, and I'm not going down without a fight. So please share or donate. Whatever you can do is MORE than appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.