Brooke
Back in the Fall of 2013, Lexi’s Closet donated a Rifton Gait Trainer to a 2-year-old child named Brooke, who was enrolled in an Early Head Start program. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and developmental delays and was not able to crawl or walk on her own yet.
Not even a year after receiving the equipment, Brooke made so much progress! She graduated from the gait trainer and is now walking on her own! Her teachers tell us that she has gained so much more control and is able to get on her own feet without support. She is still a little unsteady on uneven surfaces and needs some encouragement, but she is even able to walk up steps while holding on to something.
Want to help more kids like Brooke?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. We've changed the lives of many children, and you can too!
Ally
Ally and her service dog, Perry, are new best friends. Grant money from our foundation helped purchase Perry, who can detect and alert others of Ally's upcoming seizures. Perry can do some other pretty amazing stuff...read on to see how she keeps Ally safe!
Ally has intractable generalized epilepsy, ASD, pika, and is developmentally delayed. Periwinkle (aka Perry) is a multipurpose service dog from 4 Paws for Ability that is trained for seizure alert, tracking, behavior disruptions, and tethering. She is able to detect a seizure by scent up to 10 hrs before one starts. When the seizure occurs, Perry barks to alert Ally's parents.
Perry can also assist with tracking. When Ally runs off, Perry can find her. Behavior disruptions are used when Ally is doing something she shouldn't or when she is very overwhelmed. Perry with nuzzle (uses her nose to nudge your hand or arm), lap (lay head on Ally's body), and over (Perry puts her legs and head over part of Ally and lays down. It gives a deep pressure sense that most kids like Ally need for sensory purposes).
Tethering is extremely useful! Ally wears a harness that is attached to Perry's harness by a stretchable tether. As she walks around stores, fairs, hospitals, parking lots, etc., it keeps her from running away into danger. But that's not all... Perry gets worried when Ally walks too far away from her situations away from home, is always comforting Ally when she cries, and always has an eye on her. If Ally goes to the basement, Perry lies at the stairs to listen for her. She will also wake up Ally's parents if Ally is seizing or if she leaves her bed at night.
Want to help more kids like Ally?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. We've changed the lives of many children, and you can too!
Brennan
Brennan was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, which can result in loss of motor skills, seizures, blindness, deafness, and death. His previous stroller did not provide enough support for him to attend his many doctor visits.
After hearing about our organization, his family applied for a grant and was able to bring home the Soft Touch Sitter. The new stroller enables easier breathing and the ability for Brennan to look forward. Mom says the stroller and grant from generous donors like you have been a blessing. Thank you for making this happen.
Want to help more kids like Brennan?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. We've changed the lives of many children, and you can too!
Conlan
Conlan was born with a condition that prevents him from speaking, but his smile says it all. See why this happy tot is grinning ear to ear.
Conlan is a four year old little boy who has been fighting since the second he entered this world. He is tall for his age and had outgrown the seat length on his store bought car seat. Adaptable car seats are very unaffordable, so the family reached out to the Lexi Kazian Foundation. Through our grant request process, Conlan received the Convaid 3 car seat. His mom writes:
This is a picture of his first car ride--nice and safe! If I told you how we had his old car seat rigged up, you would probably faint. Thank you forever! You are included in our nightly prayers, and we also talk to Lexi. Your organization has a sincere understanding for special needs children and a very generous heart. Your love and dedication are amazing!
Thank you,
Chryssy
Want to help more kids like Conlan?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. Every little bit helps—no donation is too big or too small.
Kenya
Read the gracious letter that was sent from our overseas contact.
Hi Beloved in the Lord,
I lack words to express my gratitude for the tears I saw on my special children and the guardians as they received the wheelchairs. They came carrying these children. One small wheelchair belongs to Nicksper, who was ailing, and his mother could not come. You see us outside a school compound because we could not afford to pay rent at our office, so our landlord locked us out, but my joy is to see these children live normal lives even if we will meet under a tree.
To our Angel Lexi in Heaven, may people want our project to be named after you, but this will be if your parents will agree. They now want it called 'Angle Lexi's Friends' or 'Angel Lexi Special Unit.' They are so happy that you connected us. To Kristy, your family, and the Board, we lack words to thank you enough. We are praying for you.
Thank you and God bless you.
Judith
Want to help more kids like Conlan?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. We'll make sure it creates more stories like this one!
Benjamin
Donations given to our organization made it possible for Ben to receive a Tomato Stroller that provides him great support for sitting for long periods. His mother, Katy, writes:
"I just wanted to drop a note and say how much we appreciate the Special Tomato stroller we received from Lexi's Foundation. Benjamin has been getting healthier each day, and we are now able to take him out in public.
He LOVES his new stroller, and so do we! Ben was able to take his first vacation this summer, and we were so lucky to have the stroller with us. It provides him great support for sitting for long periods, and it also has a great canopy for blocking the sun. We are very blessed that he is getting healthier, and we are able to take him out now. Thanks to you all, we can take him out in style with his new stroller. Thank you very much for helping out our family!"
Want to help more kids like Benjamin
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. Together we can make a difference.
Playground Swing
On behalf of the Dundee Area Rotary Club, we are thrilled to have received the foundation grant for the wheelchair swing. We already have been in touch with the Monroe ISD about the purchase and installation of the swing. To see all the wheelchair bound kids light up when they see they too can swing and not just sit in the playground and watch the other kids is so heartwarming. We promise to keep you updated and send pictures to you of the swing and plans.
Want to help more children experience this joy?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation.
Cadyn
Although Cadyn was not given an official diagnosis, he was born with severe muscle problems that affected his ability to walk, talk, and feed himself. He has developmental delays caused by lack of motor skills and a weakness to sustain the strength necessary to function like other kids.
With the assistance of Helping from Heaven and another foundation, Cadyn received a Therasuit—a suit made of several rubber bands that can be adjusted as needed to provide input to change the proprioception and normalize afferent vestibule-proprioceptive input (the brain-to-muscle communication you need to walk, talk, crawl, etc.). The Therasuit is designed to do the same thing as traditional therapies that use weights; however, it allows the child to move normally without excessive restrictions. This helps retrain all the core muscles and allows the patient to catch up quicker and reduce overall time spent in therapy.
After trying on the suit for the first time, Cadyn stood for 30 seconds without any support for the first time in his life.
Cadyn says "Thank you" to the donors of this organization who made his new suit possible. His family also extends this thanks for making Cadyn's independence a reality.
Want to help more kids like Cayden?
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our foundation. Your generosity will help change lives!