Kindness of strangers - Helping my girl

Ashley's Voice is getting a big upgrade!    

I’m not even sure where to begin with this post as my girl has been blessed by so many totally strangers this past month who have heard her story and wanted to help.   On Mothers’s Day we learned Ashley won her very own iPad2  + Apps in a merit based giveaway from MarissasBunny.com  Infantile Spasms Awareness blog.   Mike Marissa’s Dad and his employer not only gifted my special girl with a iPad2 but another 40 families with iPads and they have set up a foundation to carry on doing the same thing for  many other families to help make  kids lives with disabilities  better.

Good news keeps coming…

Late last week I found out I won a Facebook Contest I entered from FortZed Challenge for a $50 Otterbox gift certificate.  Ashley is my lucky charm I think but I was shocked that I’d win her an iPad2 then 50 towards a fantastic cover!

Otterbox iPad2 Defender case 

This story gets even better, Ariana from FortZed challenge loved Ashley’s story and shared it with Otterbox.  Kristen from Otterbox PR contacted me and said she too was amazing by Ashley and wanted to send us their super tough iPad Defender Case free of charge and suggested we use the gift certificate to order the Otterbox Utility Latch.  WOW!  I’m totally blown away at all this kindness and generosity of so many others that are totally strangers and want to see my girl have a voice.  This iPad will be be Ashley voice and travel everywhere with her she didn’t qualify for funding for dynamic speech equipment in Canada as she would first have to prove she could use it. Which she definitely can but needs lots of hands on practice to learn to move from screen to screen and locate her choices. She need to show them she can do that before the gov't would fund one.  They were not going to give her a chance not yet anyways.


Here's a peak at Otterbox's  Utility Series Latch it allows you attach iPad to many things.. I'm sure we will put this to very good use.      

We did set aside some funds to purchase an ipad just  a week before we found out we won one from Marissa bunny so Ashley been practicing and doing really well with choice making.  However with 3 brothers there is a lot of demand for the iPad and it’s getting used by her two year old brother the most.  When Marissa Bunny iPad arrives (there has  been paperwork delays due to Apple concerns with giveaways but it’s on it’s way this week)  It will be dedicated to Ashley and at her side at all times.  Her brothers will have the other one to play with.

I just had to share all this as I feel totally thrilled that my girl is benefiting from all this generosity.  Raising 4 kids and having therapy bills  is not cheap so all this is greatly appreciated.

Don’t miss Ashley's graduation video I posted this week too.   I’m so proud of this girl we purchased her walker for her just before she started JK and I remember standing outside with her at the walker  on the first day of Junior Kindergarten we needed to assist her to balance and move the walker in the door that first day. Someone had to hang on to her and the walker.    I’m sure a few would have thought she's  not ready for that.  However with daily practice she learned to use the walker totally independently last January and just the other day she  led her class in to the gym for graduation. It was so incredible.  I know with her new iPad she needs hand over hand direction right now to navigate the speech device but with time and daily practice I’m sure she will get it.  She can independently make her own choices on pages but can’t quite navigate page to page due to the fast speed.  I’m so confident in her and super excited and pleased so many strangers are so happy to help her gain her voice. My husband and I are so humbled by all this generosity.  

Be sure to check out Otterbox's amazing cases, like and share FortZed Challenge facebook page  and  read all about Marissa at MarissasBunny.com .  Just today Marissa's Bunny is launching there next iPad giveaway so if your child needs one be sure to jump over there and check it out.  If your so lucky you will be blown away by this families kindness and eagerness to help others despite all they are going through with there sweet little girl.