Debra Pauling is the primary caregiver to her daughter Jasmine Belk, who has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Caring for Jasmine involves dealing with her muscle spasms, seizures, and stage 3 kidney disease, in addition to feeding and other daily care needs. They use public transportation but due to the unreliability of service, Jasmine has missed numerous appointments.

After neck surgery Johnnie Ross has been unable to walk any distance for 16 years. To transport himself and his non-motorized wheelchair, he built a way to load it into his van. Now he must use a motorized wheelchair and his home-made solution would no longer support him and his motorized wheelchair.

At age 4, Michael Moore was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. He has been in a wheelchair since he was 25. Now 47, Michael relies on his elderly parents to lift him in their family vehicle. He has a power wheelchair but can use it since they cannot transport it in their vehicle. Michael asked All Things Possible Medical Fundraising for a wheelchair van to take the stress off his elderly parents.

In 1979, Dianah Northcraft was in her car when she was struck by a drunk driver and knocked down a steep embankment onto the railroad tracks. Then she was hit by a train. Since then, she has been paralyzed from the waist down. Since 2014 All Things Possible Medical Fundraising gifts wheelchair vans to families who cannot afford the average $38,000 to $43,000 cost for a gently pre-owned van.

Jerome Alexander was 29 he was shot in the back. Since then he has been paralyzed from the waist down. He needs a wheelchair van to get him to and from work.

Pamela Hay is independent and loves helping others. Whether it’s going to the food bank for her neighbors or taking her mother to the doctor, she will not let being in a wheelchair stop her.

The spinal cord injury occurred in 2007, and Dawn was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease at that time; but was not properly diagnosed with hypermobility/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (which is a genetic condition) until age 47. Dawn desperately needs repairs made to her to make it operational again.

Eliza Miles was intentionally dropped by her father when she was 3 weeks old. Her father in prison for the offence and her mother refusing to take care of her Eliza and her sister were placed in their grandmother’s care. Eliza has Cerebral Palsy, is non ambulatory, and legally blind.

Derek Ingram was diagnosed with ALS in the fall of 2021. The family of 5 always did things together and they are determined to not let ALS stop them. All Things Possible has selected to help this family get a wheelchair van. Since 2014 All Things Possible Medical Fundraising gifts wheelchair van to families who cannot afford the average $35,000 to $39,000 cost for a gently pre-owned van.

Dianelys Martinez is a 20-year-old who loves animals, going to church, and shopping. Diagnosed with Rett Syndrome when she was five years old, she cannot speak, walk, or do anything for herself. Her family is asking you to donate so All Things Possible can purchase a wheelchair van for them.

For 20-years Leandra Blackmon has been in a wheelchair and struggling to get to her medical appointments. She has primarily had to rely on the public transit system, however that service does not run reliably on her route.

Since birth, Kiyana McCorey has had Cerebral Palsy. Now 10 years old, she has recently undergone surgery to straighten her spine. Kiyana’s family is in desperate need of a reliable wheelchair van so she can go to follow-up doctor appointments, as well as her regular appointments.

All Things Possible Medical Fundraising is raising funds to help the McDuffie family get a wheelchair van to safely transport her to medical appointments and infusion treatments and would also like to expand Janica’s world and see the ocean for the first time. Janica McDuffie is 33-year-old with NMO. At 12 she was diagnosed with what doctors thought at that time was MS.

JR is a rolling miracle. Born with a severe form of Muscular Dystrophy, Doctors didn’t expect him to still be alive today. But JR is a highly contributing member of his community, rolling through the town of Belmont, NC on an old scooter, helping others whenever possible.

Now JR is asking for help to get a new scooter that is made for outdoor usage and has a battery that won’t quit and leave him stranded.

Jeff was born with a rare condition that doesn’t allow him to fully or even partially extend or bend any of his limbs. For medical appointments, Jeff uses a medical transportation service through Medicaid, which is often unreliable. The service only provides transportation to and from medical appointments, leaving Jeff unable to go to the store, visit family, or even attend the church he loves.

Nikko was born prematurely, weighing only 2 pounds. This didn’t allow his brain a chance to fully develop, resulting in Cerebral Palsy, seizures, and water on the brain. He is now 20 years old, weighs 80 pounds, can’t walk, talk, use his arms, or feed himself. Lifting him and his wheelchair has become dangerous for both mom and son.

At age 5, it was discovered that Jett had a brain tumor, resulting in significant brain damage. Jett is unable to walk, talk or sit upright. He has a feeding tube, and severe scoliosis. Jett spends 98% of his life in a hospital bed in the living room. Donations of any amount will help toward a wheelchair van so that Jett can get to his medical appointments and participate in life as much as his body will allow.

After a horrific accident this once vibrant teen lives her life in a wheelchair. T’Kaiya’s mom relies on the sometimes-unpredictable public transportation system to take her to therapy and doctor appointments. Listen as T’kaiya’s mom introduces us to her daughter.

At age 5, it was discovered that Tanner was born with Cerebral Palsy and only 1/3 of his brain. He can’t sit independently, walk, roll, or even eat without help. He takes medication to control seizures, which are aggravated by the heat. They have an older wheelchair van, but it’s no longer viable. The broken, rusted, and irreparable ramp door recently resulted in Tanner being stuck inside with no air conditioning in 90-degree heat. The Fire Department had to rescue him.

Dominic Little was born at 24-weeks. Given a 32% survival chance, this young man and his mom did not give up. He has Cerebral Palsy and respiratory challenges. His mom lost her car in an accident and has to borrow transportation to take Dominic to his daily appointments.

Aben Santiago is a 23-year old with Down Syndrome, Autism, a heart condition, non-verbal, and is totally reliant on his family for all his needs. His mother has been relying on the public transportation system to get Aben to doctors. However, the system sometimes does not work leaving Aben and Margarita to forgo vital doctor and therapy appointments.

Ms. Josephine Belton a long-time Charlotte, NC resident. Ms. Belton has numerous health challenges which limits her mobility. She does have a power wheelchair, but it does not fold up for easy transportation. So, Ms. Belton reached out to ATP for help.

Born 3-months premature, Kawliga now suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Kawliga’s condition leads to over-tightening of the muscles and ligaments, which resulted in his hip being slowly pulled out of socket. He has just undergone reconstructive surgery on his hip and is healing up well. As you will see, Kawliga has CP but that does not limit his caring, lively and talkative personality.

The family van cannot transport Kawliga’s 300+pound power chair so they reached out to us for a wheelchair van. Due to his schedule of 6 doctor’s appointments weekly, school, and therapy appointments, Kawliga’s mom has to lift him, and his activity chair into their minivan up to 8 times per day.

Kandace Faulkner and her twin sister Kaitlyn were delivered by emergency C-Section at 26 weeks. This resulted in Kandace’s diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and severe Spasticity (inability to control muscles). Her twin sister Kaitlyn has autism. These twins are now 16 years old and a handful for their single mom, Crystal Faulkner of McConnells, SC, who serves the community as an EMT with Atrium Healthcare in Charlotte.

Kandace is somewhat verbal but very shy. However, she will light up if you are a Tennessee fan. She is now 5’ tall and weighs 200 pounds, making it impossible for her mom to lift her safely. Kandace has Physical and Occupational Therapy appointments three times per week on top of her regular medical visits.

The family owns a 17-year-old wheelchair accessible Dodge Caravan which regularly breaks down on the road. This leaves mom and her two special needs teenagers stranded and scared waiting on the side of the road for an emergency transport vehicle to become available. Towing companies will move the vehicle but can’t transport someone in a wheelchair.  The wheelchair ramp is also broken and is held in place with a bungee cord. Several important medical appointments have had to be cancelled because the van broke down on the road.

Grace “Gracey” Kelson is a precious 8 year old girl who suffers from numerous conditions, including congenital heart problems, Cerebral Palsy, and traumatic brain injury.  Gracey is in a vegetative state, and is fed via G-Tube. Her family needs to transport her frequently to medical appointments, but due to Gracey’s size and the equipment needed to get her there, the family’s car is not sufficient for the task. Unfortunately, they have had to cancel and cut back on several therapy appointments due to lack of adequate mobility transportation.

Jaysen Drum was born prematurely with a large growth at the base of his brain resulting in Cerebral Palsy. He had brain surgery right away which left him with fluid on the brain which is now drained through a shunt. Jaysen is 13 years old, weighs 52 lbs. and is 4’8” tall. He can’t walk or stand, has limited use of his arms and barely speaks.

Due to the inability of his parents to care for him, he lived with his Grandmother from age 2 to age 6 until she died unexpectedly. His Great Grandmother, Barbara Hodges, has custody of Jaysen and has cared for him for the last 7 years all by herself. Barbara is a spunky 80-year old who stands 4’10” tall. Due to her advancing age and petite stature, it is increasingly difficult for her to lift her Jaysen into and out of wheelchairs and car seats without risking injury to them both.
Jayson goes to a special needs school which requires a certain type of wheelchair that Barbara cannot lift. He has a different wheelchair at home and yet another stroller type chair used to go to his 5 therapy appointments each week. What they need is a wheelchair van with a ramp so that Jaysen can use one chair for everything that is easily rolled into and out of the vehicle. Your donations toward a wheelchair van will help this Great Grandmother to continue being Jaysen’s lifeline for as long as the Lord allows.

Abigail Nivens is 17 years old and in need of a wheelchair van. She suffered brain damage as an infant, resulting in Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis. She is unable to walk, roll, communicate, feed herself or do any such tasks independently. While Abigail is technically 17 years old, her development is that of a 17-month-old. Due to catastrophic and unforeseen events, Abigail’s grandmother is raising 3 of her grandchildren, and has had custody of Abigail since she was 18 months old.

All Things Possible Medical Fundraising is working to purchase a used wheelchair van to safely transport Abigail to her medical and therapy appointments. Currently, they can only get to these appointments if a family member is available to accompany her to the appointments since her grandmother is unable to lift Abigail in and out of her 2006 Ford F150 truck, which has 250,000 miles on it.

Kinsley Nesbit is 5 years old, has Cerebral Palsy, seizures and KCNQ2 gene mutation. She cannot walk, talk, sit or feed herself. Kinsley has 4 therapy appointments each week in addition to neurological appointments.

Kinsley is being raised by her grandmother. Custody of Kinsley and her slightly older sister went to their grandparents some years ago when their parents were determined unfit to raise them. Kinsley’s grandfather passed away recently, leaving just her grandmother to care for the girls.

Kinsley’s Doctors feel she has reached a plateau in her development. However, she continues to grow and is now too heavy for her grandmother to safely lift her in and out of her current vehicle by herself. A wheelchair van would allow Kinsley to remain in her wheelchair when traveling to her many medical and therapy appointments.

Auria Perry is 13 years old and in need of a wheelchair van. She was born prematurely at 28 weeks and has cerebral palsy. She can’t stand or walk. She has some use of one arm so she can operate her electric wheelchair. Despite her physical disabilities, Auria is very smart when it comes to math and science. Though she is in 8th grade, Auria is doing 10th grade Algebra. She can communicate well and has a smile that lights up a room.

The Perry family has a 2005 wheelchair van with 160,000+ miles. It has transmission problems, needs tires, brakes, the ramp sticks sometimes and there are issues with the ramp door. It doesn’t close well and sometimes slides open while driving. Safety is the first priority, so a van door suddenly opening while driving is clearly not safe and is very scary.  This old van would cost more to repair than it is worth. Please insure Auria’s safety by contributing to a wheelchair accessible van for her family.

John Jackson Blanks is 7 years old and has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. To travel safely In his 300+ pound electric wheelchair, his family needs a wheelchair accessible van. A pre owned wheelchair van under 10 years old will cost around $25,000.

Lailah was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome at 19 months old. Rett Syndrome is caused by a rare gene mutation but is not inherited. Shortly after diagnosis, Lailah lost the use of her hands purposefully (but claps repeatedly). She cannot speak or walk. Lailah has difficulty chewing and swallowing. She receives a significant amount of her nourishment and medications (to reduce seizures) through a feeding tube. In order to transport her to medical and therapy appointments, her heavy wheelchair must be broken down and re-assembled at the destination. Mom works in Human Resources for the City of Charlotte and dad drives a forklift but they still cannot afford a wheelchair van which is so clearly needed.

Trinity was born 10 weeks premature. As a result, her brain was underdeveloped. At age 3 she was diagnosed with Quadriplegic Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Trinity is unable to control the use of her arms, legs, and body movements. Spastic muscles pull on the joints and bones which can shorten the muscles over time. Trinity has no use of her right arm but her left arm works fine. Doctors have recommended an electric wheelchair that she can operate independently with her left hand. Unfortunately, those chairs weigh over 300 pounds. Therefore, she can only be transported in a wheelchair van which her single mom, who works as a Trauma Counselor for CMS, cannot afford.

Due to oxygen deprivation at birth, Bryceion Atwell has cerebral palsy, seizures and severe scoliosis. He cannot walk, talk or swallow. He has a tracheostomy tube and is ventilator dependent. Bryceion’s birth mom was unable to care for him.

He captured the heart of his hospital nurse, Telisha. She is now his legal guardian and in the process of adopting Bryceion. Telisha suffers from degenerative disc disease and cannot safely lift Bryceion or his wheelchair without putting both of them in danger. In order to safely transport this 3 year old and all his medical equipment (suction, oxygen, and feeding pump), a wheelchair accessible van is needed.

Brady Williams is 18 years old and was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at age 5. DMD is a genetic mutation that results in muscular degeneration and weakness. Most patients with DMD don’t live past age 30 due to weakening of the heart and respiratory system muscles.

Brady lost his ability to walk in 2017. They now use a scooter to transport him, which has to be broken down into 4 pieces to fit it into the car, and reassembled at the destination. With a wheelchair van, he could remain in his electric wheelchair (which weighs 400 lbs), keeping both of them safe from injury. Brady has been an MDA spokesperson and is taking online classes in Criminal Justice.

Andrea is a 5-year-old girl with a complex history to include Down’s Syndrome, Seizures, Specific Development Disorder of Motor Function, Epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, ASD (Atrial Septal Defect), Gastrostomy Tube and Hypotonia. Even though she is over 5 years old, Andrea’s disabilities and epilepsy has restricted her development. She cannot walk, talk, etc. She wears a “cranial helmet” for protection. Her constant Epilepsy does not allow her brain to learn and retain. She has different types of seizures that are difficult to manage, causing cognitive and developmental issues. She suffers with low motor tone.

Andrea lives at home with her parents and 7-year-old sister; Valerie. Mom stays home with Andrea to provide for her round-the-clock care when she is not attending a special school part time where she receives physical therapy.

This family is requesting a van with a ramp/lift to transport Andrea safely. The family currently has a car seat and uses a stroller when they are out because her other equipment will not fit in the car, but it does not provide the support and protection that she needs to be safe.

At 3 months old, Kayla was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome while in the care of a new babysitter. She suffered a brain bleed resulting in damage to 75% of her brain. She has minimal motor function, cannot stand, crawl or communicate. She is blind, is fed through a feeding tube, has 20+ seizures a day and sleeps most of the time.

The babysitter was sentenced in January of 2019 to 9 years in prison. Kayla’s sentence is for life.

Though she is only 2 years old, Kayla weighs 35 pounds. Her special wheelchair weighs 50 pounds. She has therapy and medical appointments 5 times a week. Mom is petite and struggles to lift her daughter. The wheelchair is impossible for her to lift. Soon an oxygen tank will be added to the breathing machine and feeding machine that must be transported along with Kayla.

Jeramiah was diagnosed at age 2 with Sleep Apnea and Asthma. He has a 4 year old little sister and lives with his mother. Due to severe allergies, he could stop breathing in his sleep without proper equipment. His challenges include:

– Numerous allergies (airborne and otherwise) that severely inhibit his breathing
– Highly susceptible to germs resulting in colds that last for months at a time
– They have well water and no dishwasher to aid in the removal of germs and bacteria that can get inside the crevices of the C-Pap machine.

Meg’s medical bills resulted from her contracting Malaria on a mission trip which turned into Lyme Disease. She had extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, insomnia, headaches, nausea, intestinal disfunction and weakness. Meg received 9 months of IV treatments that relieved some of the symptoms, but she still has a long way to go. Unable to work, Meg lost her job due to the disease., has no income and is living with a friend while raising her daughter. The outstanding medical bill of over $1,000 was in collections.

Reverend Jessie Coffey is an 85-year-old who suffered a stroke in 2000, leaving her with right side weakness. As a result of the stroke, Jessie is now wheelchair bound. She lives with her 88 year-old husband. The family’s van requires $3,346.00 of repairs to make the van safe for wheelchair accessibility. Without the repairs the family cannot travel to needed medical appointments.

The fact that little Avonlea (pronounced like Avenue but with Lee on the end) survived birth is a miracle in itself. Her parents were told by the Doctors to make funeral plans when the extremely rare genetic disorder, Trisomy 13, was diagnosed through an ultrasound well before Melissa Powell even went into labor.

Avonlea was born with an extra #13 chromosome. 80% of these patients do not survive the first few weeks of life due to serious complications. It results in severe intellectual disabilities, developmental delays and physical abnormalities. Avonlea cannot walk, talk, or stand. Developmentally, she is only 7 months old. Grand maul seizures plague her. These are so severe that she frequently requires “rescue breaths” because she stops breathing. Then she immediately has to be put on oxygen. 90% of her food intake is through a feeding tube inserted directly into her stomach.

There are only 2 children currently living in the Charlotte metropolitan area with Trisomy 13.  Avonlea is the oldest.

Avonlea’s mom is a freelance wedding photographer. Her dad is an Arborist. They currently drive a Toyota Prius. The family desperately needed a van with a ramp to safely transport Avonlea in her wheelchair along with her little sister Violet (who did not receive the genetic mutation), and all of Avonlea’s emergency breathing equipment.

Alexis was diagnosed with DiGeorge’s Syndrome at 4 months old. She has a 2 year old little sister and lives with her mother and grandmother. Due to muscular impairment, she needs a medically supportive car seat with the appropriate straps and padding. Her challenges include:

– Impaired memory, judgement, thinking, language and motor skills
– Inability to differentiate from dangerous or harmless situations
– Incontinence and severe acid reflux
– Born with a hole in her heart
– Stress caused by severe separation anxiety could result in a heart attack
– Throat muscle problems means she could fatally choke on her own saliva

Austin suffers from a very rare muscle condition known as Myotubular Myopathy. Only 3 people in SC and 2 in NC have been diagnosed with this condition.

• Austin was born 6 weeks premature and only weighed 4 pounds. He barely took 2 breaths before having to be intubated.
• At 2 months old, he was diagnosed with Myotubular Myopathy.
• He cannot maintain his airway, making respiratory failure the largest threat to his life.
• A tracheotomy helps him breathe, but the machines must be monitored 24/7.
• Austin can’t walk, talk, sit, stand, crawl, roll, or swallow and requires a feeding tube.
• His muscles are weak but his brain is strong. Austin is now learning sign language.

As a result of a gene mutation, Logan Neely’s brain did not develop properly. Where you and I have “folds” in our brain, Logan is missing most of those folds. He cannot talk, stand, walk, sit, crawl or even swallow. He receives food and medications through a feeding tube inserted directly into his stomach.

Logan is plagued with Epileptic seizures that can occur several times a day. He also receives multiple breathing treatments daily to clear his lungs. Between the fact that his brain is not communicating effectively with his body and his very low muscle tone, Logan can’t even hold his own head up for more than a minute or two at a time.

Transporting Logan and all his medical equipment is a challenge for this family. They have a small Kia sedan that is 12 years old, has over 230,000 miles on it and is on its last leg.

Just putting Logan’s wheelchair in the trunk means it has to be taken apart (Melissa has it down to 20 minutes), put into the trunk, then put back together again before getting him into his medical or therapy appointments. To simply go grocery shopping as a family currently requires 2 vehicles to carry the family, Logan’s “just-in-case” equipment plus the groceries.

They can’t attend church as a family due to transportation issues. Neither of the Neely sons have ever seen the ocean, since they don’t have a vehicle large enough to take a short family vacation.

The Neely family needs a Minivan as well as a special car seat to properly support Logan with several straps and a curved head piece to safely support his head and neck. God forbid if they were ever involved in a car accident, Logan’s neck could snap without proper support. The custom special needs car seat recommended by his Physical Therapist will cost approximately $3500, which is not covered by their insurance or Medicaid.

Karen was in a great deal of pain. Her legs were swollen and she couldn’t sit, stand or walk for any length of time. She was losing feeling from the waist down and needed spine surgery or she would lose her ability to walk. The surgeon required a substantial deposit before scheduling the surgery. Karen was recently separated, had no income, no car and no money.

Ryley was born with a rare genetic disorder. His #1 Chromosome is missing 75% of the genes it should contain. He also has severe scoliosis of the spine and is wearing a body cast. He cannot talk, stand, walk, sit or crawl. Due to a malformed pallet and digestive disorders, he is fed through a feeding tube directly into his stomach. Ryley turned 2 years old in August. His stomach is unusually small so he is fed every few hours, yet only weighs 17 pounds. Ryley is being raised by his grandparents, who have had full custody of him since he was removed from his parents at 7 months old. Ryley’s grandparents are now alternating 12 hour shifts due to Ryley’s feeding schedule. A potentially life-threatening brain surgery is on the horizon for Ryley because his brain has shifted to one side. Surgery may be avoided if he gets a cranial band helmet. The other piece of equipment needed is a P-Pod chair that will result in better digestion during Ryley’s tube feeding and increased spinal support. Unfortunately, Medicaid won’t pay for any of that.

Jeff’s symptoms started out mimicking acid reflux in early 2014. Then the nausea started and he just knew something more was going on. An endoscopy confirmed a malignant stomach tumor measuring 17×20 cm (the size of a small watermelon). When Jeff and Lisa got the call from the doctor with that news, they just held each other and cried. But God didn’t let them stay in that dark place for long.

Jeff went through chemotherapy and other strong medications. When operated on to remove the large tumor, the surgeon found 10 more small tumors behind it. The surgeon determined the cancer was too far along. By October 2015, the cancer had spread to his liver. The drugs resulted in a huge weight loss and lack of energy.

Jeff was receiving short term disability. His wife Lisa resigned her position at Wells Fargo in order to care for her husband. Their income was not enough to cover their household bills and support their family,  let alone pay these unexpected medical bills, most of which have gone to collection agencies. As is the case with most families in a health crisis, funds that had been in savings are quickly depleted.

When we met with Jeff and Lisa McGill, the unpaid medical bills totalled nearly $10,000. The final bills may not even arrive for a few months. All Things Possible Medical Fundraising is working to negotiate those bills down.

The McGill family should be focusing on more important things now than how to pay off medical bills.

Vicki Johnson was rejected for disability, but will keep trying. She was rejected for Medicaid because she receives some survivor benefits from her husband’s death. But that’s not nearly enough to support a family of 4, let alone pay these unexpected medical bills, most of which have gone to collection agencies. Lawyers are calling her demanding payment.

Vicki  has more than enough on her plate without this added stress. She should be able to focus on her treatment, her family and her recovery, but she can’t. Not without your help.

• Vicki’s husband died unexpectedly in 2010.
• She is raising 2 teenagers on her own.
• An on the job injury sidelined her nursing career in 2011.
• Vicki was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2014.
• Her mother (who has Alzheimer’s) moved in with Vicki’s family.
• A double mastectomy, then radiation and more chemo followed.
• Recently her ovaries were removed to keep the cancer from spreading.

Conner just turned 4 years old on July 5, 2014. He has a rare disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta or more commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease or OI. Conner is one of five children for Kip and Denise. He is also a twin. Conner’s twin sister Kayleigh does not have OI, nor do his other siblings. This condition is a genetic mutation.

Denise and Kip were told Conner had OI in utero, as his limbs were much shorter than they should be and he was showing fractures and bowing of his bones. Conner has a severe type of OI which is type III. He has had more than 100 broken bones in his short 4 years of life. Conner’s bones were compared to paper when he was born and they had to carry him around on a pillow because he was so fragile. Last year he rolled over in his sleep and broke his collar bone.  Recently, his ribs were broken simply from holding him to lean over the sink to wash his hands. This unfortunately happens too often.

Although there is NO cure for OI, Conner receives infusions of pamidronate every 7 weeks over a two day period to help make his bones more dense and help with pain. He has had several surgeries to insert rods and wires in his limbs which help with the bowing and to be an internal splint. He won’t grow to more than approximately 3′ 6″ tall, but as he does grow the rods and wires have to be replaced.

Because there aren’t medical professionals in the Charlotte region with enough experience to handle Type III OI, the Goldhammer’s were referred to an orthopedic surgeon with significant experience with this disease who is in Omaha, Nebraska. They must travel from Charlotte to Omaha for his surgeries and to see experts on OI multiple times a year.

The family nearly lost Conner in February of 2014 when the high chair he was sitting in at the dining table fell over while he was strapped into it.  What they had been using was a KidKart which is a removable part of his stroller. The wheels would only lock in the back and it did not stay in place. Conner could still move the chair. It’s top heavy and the base was not sturdy enough.  A small 4 year old squirming even a little bit, can cause it to shake and then topple over.

According to his mother, Conner’s skull shattered like broken glass when he fell from the chair and hit the floor.  The fall also caused a brain bleed that was nearly fatal. Thank God, he made it through the surgeries, but not without a great deal of fear for his young life.

Conner also has brittle teeth, he has had several teeth that have chipped and he will need to have all of his teeth capped at some point.  This will be another big expense on the horizon.

Conner does not walk independently, but he is able to scoot on his bottom with his legs folded under him.  Conner experiences bone pain on and off in addition to the painful breaks.  Medicaid pays for a caregiver for Conner that has been trained to assist him in the home.  Picking him up as well as dressing and undressing him can result in a broken bone if not handled properly. Unfortunately Medicaid only pays for 28 hours a week, and the family really needs her full time.

Although Conner Goldhammer has gone through so much at such a young age, he still has an unbreakable spirit!