“I never thought about all the things we took for granted until we couldn’t do any of them as a family,” she said.

Any time Tommy left the house, he had to be in a stroller, or they needed to go somewhere he could easily crawl on the ground.

“Something as simple as going to the playground at the end of the street was a major struggle. Tommy couldn’t climb on equipment or play with his older sister. The only thing he could do was the baby swing.”

Not being able to join in activities had a major impact on Tommy’s personality. He became withdrawn.

Amy’s doctor prescribed Tommy specialty orthopedic leg braces. From ankle to knee, they would be able to provide the support he needed to stand on his own.

The problem was the price. It was $950 for the braces, and insurance wouldn’t cover them.

“As a single mom, my budget was tight. After all our bills, there wasn’t enough left over for the braces. It was killing me not to be able to provide this for my son,” she said. “This was the only way he was going to be able to walk on his own.”

When Amy received a grant from the Family Fund, she almost broke down. “I was so grateful. The next day, we were measured for the braces in the doctor’s office. It took such a financial burden off my plate – I could focus on my son and stopped asking myself how in the world I was going to come up with the money to pay for this. “

Now, Tommy totters around on his own. He can stand instead of sitting, and walk instead of crawling.

“We had his third birthday party at the playground this summer,” said Amy. “I could have never imagined it – he was playing with the other kids, climbing on all the equipment, moving around completely on his own! I’ve never seen him so happy.”

Thousands of children in our community, like Tommy, rely on very specialized, very expensive support. They cannot access these resources because their families cannot afford them. Every day, these families must make the difficult choice of balancing their child’s development with their family’s well-being.

“Our whole family benefitted from this grant, not just Tommy,” said Amy. “I didn’t realize how stressful it was only to be stuck in the house or going to therapy. Tommy walking independently has opened up a new world for our entire family because now we can do everything together.”