Get in April's Corner

What happened?

While cycling during Rhode Island's MS150 fundraiser/charity event on Saturday, June 9th, my mum - April Vallier - had a serious fall from her bike after skidding on a patch of sand. The impact was far worse due to her helmet falling off before her head hit the concrete. After sustaining a crack in her skull, a fractured pelvis, a fractured cheekbone and a fair bit of road rash, she is now stable and recovering at Rhode Island Hospital.

Why do you need the money?

April received a life-saving brain surgery on June 9th due to the bleeding in her brain. A surgeon actually had to piece parts of her skull back together. She was in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit for five days before being relocated across the hall to the Neurological Stroke Unit for rest and recovery. 

The doctors have stated there will be a minimum 2 week stay in the hospital followed by months of in-patient rehabilitation. It's a long road to recovery for traumatic brain injuries; I would like your help to make sure that my mum gets the care that she needs to ensure the best possible recovery.

How will you use the money?

-Medical Bills
-Rehab Appointments
-Supplemental income for the household
(Mum isn't working and Dad is at the hospital as much as possible)

I chose the goal of $20,000 after talking to my mum's accountant friend. Some may think it's too high, some may think it's too low; all I know is that together we can move mountains.

I will personally make sure that each and every dollar spent is in line with my mum's direct medical and recovery needs. In the off-chance that we end up with more than we need, I can guarantee the money will go to a good cause. Perhaps a charity of mum's choosing? :)


Who is April Vallier?

I can't possibly sum up my mum in a few words... or sentences... or even paragraphs. To know her is to meet her for five minutes. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and she has loyalty like no other person I have met in my life. She was raised with a strong faith in the Lord, and I'm sure her family will tell you she always led by example when it came to "Treat others the way you want to be treated."

She is known as April by some, as Honey to one, and is Mom, Mum, and Grandma to few.

She is known by her closest friends as "Gaga"...


My mum has always been a fighter in her personal life. She has shown me her vulnerability at times only to show me the strength it takes to rise above it all. The journey to becoming an actual fighter started at the age of 49 when she took her first kickboxing class. We received a flyer in our mailbox to try a class for free, and away we went!
The rest is history.

At the age of 56, she is a personal trainer and a kickboxer. She is someone who has completed a mini-triathlon, countless marathons, and a Tough Mudder. She has ran, walked, cycled and swam hundreds of miles, and she has been in the ring countless times. 

Above anything else, my mum knows how to make people feel loved. 
She has touched people's hearts in a way I didn't even know was possible. The community that surrounds her from her family to her friends to her work colleagues to her team at Evolutionary Sports continue to impress and amaze my family during this difficult time.

My mum got the fighting name of "Gaga" because of the Lady Gaga song, "Poker Face". When fighting, people would see her age and not consider her a real threat. She would get in the ring and her opponent would doubt her strength. In fighting, you have a 1 and a 2. My mum would "pop" with her left (1) and then really let you have it with her right (2). This was always a real surprise to the other fighter!

Her friend Donna would always say, "Gaga, we never saw you coming."

Well, Gaga, we definitely didn't see this coming.

I know my mum has been in your corner, now please, get in her corner for the fight of her life. Together, We've got this!