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Success Stories:
Maddie H. — Received a medically adapted bicycle
Hi!
My name is Jenessa Harrison and I am writing to tell you about the impact Fund It Forward has had on my family's life. I am the mother of Madison Harrison. Madison is 8 years old and has Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy. This makes her muscles very stiff and she lacks balance. We struggle to keep Madison active in therapies and play to help reduce this tightness. Madison, like other kids, just wants to play and be accepted. This is where Fund It Forward comes in and changes our lives!
Madison's therapists had mentioned that a bicycle would not only be therapeutic, but also a lot of fun. We had tried adapting many types of bikes, but nothing was working for us. At one of our therapy sessions, Madison had the opportunity to try out a new AmTryke bicycle. It was amazing! We were able to see her pedal for the first time, and her smile was priceless! We looked into getting an AmTryke, but the cost was completely out of our budget. Madison would continuously talk about riding the bicycle and how she wanted one so she could play and keep up with the other kids.
We were told about the great organization, Fund It Forward, at our local Children's Hospital. I immediately contacted them to see if they could help us with the funding for this very special bike. We were immediately accepted with open arms, and have received a wonderful new AmTryke bicycle. This has greatly changed our lives! For the first time, I actually get to chase my child, rather than constantly trying to hold her! Madison has a new sense of freedom that I could never have given her on my own! She absolutely loves riding the bicycle and doesn't realize how much exercise she is receiving while playing. My favorite part of our story is Madison's new found friends. For the first time, I have the neighborhood kids coming to our house to get Madison to come out to play. They want to see her ride her new bike and they actually seem proud of her as she goes further and faster each time. Fund It Forward did not only change our lives, but it also made an impact on those around us, giving Madison a true vision of friendship and fun.
Thank you Fund It Forward!!
Sincerely,
Jenessa and Madison H., May 2013
In December 2011, FUND IT FORWARD received this letter from Maddi's mom:
Hi! I would like to tell you about my little miracle, Madison Olivia H. Madison was born on February 14, 2005 at 9:20 pm. She was delivered by emergency c-section exactly 3 months before her due date. Madison was only 2lbs 4 oz and was 14" long. She was very tiny and bruised. She couldn't breathe on her own and was put on a ventilator, and later on c-pap. She had a grade 4 Intraventricular Hemmorage, or a severe bleed in her brain. At 2 weeks old, Madison had surgery on her heart. This was called a PDA Ligation. This was to close a shortcut that blood takes between the vessels and the heart while a baby is developing in the womb. Madison's never closed so this had to be done surgically. She recovered and has had no problems with this since.
Madison continued to grow and was brought home from the hospital April 11, 2005. She needed to wear an apnea monitor to make sure that her heart didn't stop beating and to make sure that she was breathing. She also had to wear oxygen. Today, Madison is a healthy 6 1/2 year old. She has been diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy. Basically, her muscles are really tight, especially in her legs. This really inhibits her walking, balance, and standing. Madison goes through a lot of therapies, including physical, aquatic, equestrian, and occupational therapies. She does really well, until we hit a growth spurt, then we get to start all over. Madison is able to move around her environment using a lofstand crutch. She is exceptionally smart and very determined, or hard-headed as I like to call it. I can't complain too much, because I believe that this is what gets her by. Madison is a very happy child and she is a joy to be around! I'm thankful everyday for having her in my life!
I am writing you to see if there is any funding available to get my little miracle a bicycle. Without balance, Madison is unable to ride your typical bike, and a medically adapted bicycle is completely out of our budget. She has been asking me for two years to help her ride and I am unable to grant her this wish. Would you please consider helping Madison, so that she would be able to ride a bicycle along with her friends?
Thank you
Jenessa H, December 2011