Tech The Halls 2018

Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to providing medical and adaptive technology to people living with muscular dystrophy diseases. In the past four years, we have given over $136,000 in vital equipment that has changed hundreds of lives across the country. Our unwavering goal is to provide devices that improve the health, comfort, and productivity for our clients, and as you’ll see in the stories below, that’s exactly what you’re helping us accomplish with our Tech The Halls campaign this year!

What is Tech The Halls?

Besides being an incredibly catchy name, Tech The Halls is a yearly tradition that was created by YOU, our supporters. The purpose is to provide free adaptive technology to people affected by muscular dystrophy, like iPads and Amazon Echos. With your help this year, we are giving away technology grants to 11 people who have applied for a device that will improve their daily comfort, function, and ability! Please check out their stories below, and consider making a pledge to help change their lives in a positive way!

Meet Patrick!
        Patrick is a 14-year-old living with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy who wants to someday become an inventor, specifically a toy inventor! About this passion, Patrick told us, “Toys make the world fun, and I like to come up with new ideas.” Laughing At My Nightmare is thrilled to be providing Patrick with a brand new iPad Pro to assist with his creative endeavors! Patrick said it best: “I think it would allow me to be more creative to design and draw and I could use it for my school projects also. The teachers often want us to create a poster, flyer, or even a book cover. Creating could become easier for me without my hand getting so tired.”


Meet Kayla!
        Kayla lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1. Her favorite activities include reading, playing games, FaceTiming friends, and watching slime videos and cooking shows. Kayla’s mom applied for the voice-controlled Amazon Echo to help increase her daughter's independence. She writes, “Kayla uses the little movement she has in her arms to drive her power chair. It would be great if she could use her voice to control a device that may help keep her engaged in activities.”


Meet David!
        David is excited to start his own YouTube channel, using his new iPad Pro to record and edit his videos. David lives with SMA Type 2 and wants to make videos that highlight “technology or apps that can help people with mobility issues.” He also wants to provide insight for people unfamiliar with disability, to show that “we have thoughts and feelings too.” David told us that his biggest goal is, “to be more independent and feel less helpless. Living with muscular dystrophy can be extremely frustrating, but what I learned is to adapt and make the best of it.”


Meet DeAnn!
        We asked DeAnn how an iPad Pro would positively impact her life. She told us, “While living with SMA for 39 years, there’s one thing I know for certain, technology is independence. As my reach grew smaller with each passing day, I learned that with technology my reach can go far beyond my physical limitations. About a year ago my journey took an unexpected turn as I was gifted the opportunity to start the first-ever treatment for SMA, Spinraza. Despite slight improvements, my physical abilities are still severely limited, which is why an iPad would be extremely useful.”


Meet Grace!
        Grace lives with bulbar ALS which has affected her speech and swallowing abilities. Until now, she has used a Boogie Board to write messages. She’s been learning how to utilize text to speech apps during her speech therapy, which are much easier to use through an iPad as opposed to her smart phone. This is the reason her daughters reached out to our organization to help gift this iPad Pro.


Meet Madison!
        Madison is getting ready to move out of her parents' house, and her main purpose for requesting an Amazon Echo is to make that transition easier! Madison lives with SMA Type 2. She tells us, “The Amazon Echo and WeMo Switches will help me be as independent as I possibly can be in my new home, seeing as I am able to control lights and other common household items due to my muscle weakness. I will also be able to use this device to call for help in case of an emergency.”


Meet Krue!
          Krue wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up. But that’s not it! He also wants to buy a motorcycle. But that’s not it! He also wants to be a famous YouTube star. Krue has no shortage of ambition, and his mom applied to get him an iPad Pro to help that enthusiasm for life continue to flourish! Krue lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which involves many trips to Shriners Hospital. The iPad will give him something engaging to do during those long car rides. He’s also very excited to take his own pictures. He says, “I could take it with me and capture all my moments.”


Meet Tamie!
        Tamie’s biggest goal and passion are one in the same: she wants to improve wheelchair access on commercial airlines. She is a board member for an organization called All Wheels Up that is working to change policies that disallow wheelchair users from staying in their chairs while flying. This work, as well as her other online businesses, are the main reasons Tamie needs an iPad Pro. Tamie’s wheelchair is equipped with a “smart joystick” that will help her control the iPad right from the joystick of her wheelchair.


Meet Elizabeth!
        Elizabeth wrote that her two kids are her biggest passion in life, and that her dream is to “help them find and pursue their dreams and grow into responsible adults.” Recently, Elizabeth was diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that is causing her to experience constant pain and fatigue. She applied for an iPad Pro through this campaign and cited many ways that the device will improve her daily life. Leaving the house has become difficult, and her computer is becoming too difficult to type on, so Elizabeth is excited to use the iPad to communicate with her friends and family, using speech-to-text instead of typing with her hands. She also added, “iPads also have a great camera for capturing photos and videos of my two favorite people—my kids!”


Meet Connor!
        Connor is an active kid who enjoys adaptive skiing, swimming, playing video games, reading comics, and hiking in his power chair. Connor is receiving a new Amazon Echo through this campaign! His mom explains that Connor’s mobility is very limited and that he cannot stand from sitting on his own anymore. She is hopeful that the Echo will help Connor communicate with his parents in case he falls down and they cannot hear him. The Smart Home features that can be set up with the additional WeMo Switches will help Connor control devices within his home, increasing his independence and ability!


Meet Lawrence!
        Lawrence loves watching sensory videos on YouTube and looking at books, which are two great activities that he and his family will be able to do together with their new iPad Pro. Lawrence’s mom wrote to us, explaining that her son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, including cognitive symptoms that make him non-verbal. Their primary need for the iPad Pro is for the adaptive communication apps that it can run. They will be using the device to teach Lawrence communication methods so that their family can better understand his wants, feelings, and needs.

As you can see, the technology we are providing this year is going to have a big impact for our recipients. We are so thankful for our community of supporters for coming together to help make this campaign a huge success! Any funds raised over the $5,000 goal will be used for additional equipment grants for people living with muscular dystrophy.

To learn more about Laughing At My Nightmare, please visit our website!

THANK YOU!