Something as simple as bike riding can be almost impossible with a special needs child. When Lucia was about 18 months old my parents and I went to REI in search of a bike seat for Lucia- or a trailer of some sort so we could go on bike rides. Because Lucia has such low muscle tone, using a typical set-up where she needs to hold up her head or body upright, makes regular seats not ideal for kids like Lu. We spent at least an hour there and tried about everything- even a 3 wheeled adult tricycle type bikey thingy..but in the end I ended up hiding behind a clothes rack crying because nothing there would work for my little girl. We left without a seat.
When we vacationed a few months later in Hilton Head we used a bike trailer and instead of Lu sitting up we had her lie sideways on the 2 seat bench- it worked ok, as long as we went fairly slow, were on paved surfaces and didn't go too far.
After we had Scout we purchased a bike trailer thinking Lu had gotten strong enough to sit up with the straps and next to her little sister...but it never worked for more than a couple blocks.
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| attempt with the burley |
Then last summer we thought we found the perfect bike riding setup, the Wee Hoo! Both girls could ride together in their own seat, feel the breeze, see the sights AND be supported. However, after a couple rides, we realized it too was no bueno. Lucia's hips easily slide forward when not fully supported and holding her head upright can get really tiring. She cried on our two rides. So the bike trailer, and the Wee Hoo now collect dust in our garage... Bikes for special needs kids mostly range from $3,000-$8000..so we thought maybe one day...
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| the Wee Hoo-pretty weeoonderful but just not cuttin it |
During the
Do More Charity Crossfit competition last month a woman named Dawn came over and introduced herself to me and Lu. She was there cheering on some of her fellow Crossfit friends. Dawn had seen the team called Lubird's bandits for PKS Kids and she wanted to meet Lu and offer something. Dawn and her husband had two daughters, first Allyson and a little bit later Rachel. Both girls were born with the same rare and serious form of Muscular Dystrophy, and tragically both passed away when they were 5. The girls inspired Dawn and her friends to form a foundation in their honor, Two Angels,
http://www.twoangelsfoundation.org/about-2/ Their purpose is this :
Having a child with special needs can be challenging and it is the goal of the Two Angels Foundation to help with some of the struggles and make a difference in the lives of these children by:
- Helping families purchase recreational adaptive equipment for physically disabled children.
- Providing adaptive equipment to help physically disabled children participate at school.
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| The Two Angels- Allyson and Rachel Mohatt |
Dawn told us she wanted to get Lu a bike! After a few communications, she asked our family to come to an event this past Sunday, the
MBS Turkey Challenge Crossfit competition raising money for Two Angels. They introduced us to the 300 competitors. It was really special.
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Dawn is beside me w her friend Leslie
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Some of this money will be for our girl to get a bike!- a bicycle that would truly work for HER. This is the bike we have our sights set on and Two Angels will help make this possible!
http://www.frankmobility.com/duet.php
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| how cool is this?! so excited!!!!! the chair can be detached too! |
We are over the moon with the thought of taking Lu on bike rides where she will be comfortable, secure and happy. Thankful. So Thankful. Thank you Two Angels for making what seemed almost impossible, possible. I can already imagine Dawn's two angels Allyson and Rachel flying above Lu when she rides. Happy Thanksgiving.
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