The LEO grant

A little long, but exciting news!

Those of you that follow Leo know that he (and we) like to stay on the go! This was not always so easy. Leo has to have what is best described as a mobile PICU with him at all times. He has a suction machine, feeding pump, pulse ox (to monitor heart rate and oxygen levels) his ventilator, cough assist machine, oxygen and ambu bag. Then there are the supplies that the equipment requires, and backup items. This is a lot of stuff to transport in and out of a car! We had to load these items piece by piece, along with Leo’s medical stroller. Leo had to travel in a car bed (which looks like a large cooler) so he could remain flat. We could also not travel alone with him for safety reasons. It was not always easy, and we tried not to let this slow us down, but having an accessible van has changed our lives.

With a portion of the funds raised from the 2014 Go Leo Go, Leo was able to get an accessible van which has given Leo so many new opportunities! Leo is able to travel safely, comfortably and with ease. We can have his medical stroller loaded with his equipment, and just wheel everything out of the house right into the van! Leo remains in his stroller which is locked into place, and he wears a special seat belt. Simple trips like taking Leo to the grocery store are now possible, and something we do often! Prior to the van making two stops in one trip was out of the question! He has been from Wisconsin to Florida, and many places in between. He has strolled through Nashville, been to one of the highest peaks on the Blue Ridge Mountains, cruised SC beaches and toured the Low Country. He has even met Mickey Mouse himself at an amazing vacation in Disney World! We are so grateful from the generous support of Leo's Pride that has made this possible, and has given Leo the opportunity to experience so many different places. We could never express how much your generosity has impacted in our lives.

This has been the inspiration for the new grant, the Love Every One (LEO) grant of which we will be awarding to two different families! We are so grateful for our van, and we want others to be able to experience the joy and freedom that comes with obtaining an accessible van. Our goal is to have $10,000 from Go Leo Go funds to be divided between two families. One grant will go towards a family that has a child (or children) with SMA. The other grant will go towards a local family that has a child (or children) that also have a need for an accessible van for medical reasons. We are so excited that Leo's Pride is touching people's lives in so many ways! The grant application will be available after Go Leo Go when funds have been raised. Check back at the end of the year for details. There is no additional information at this time!