Category: My Stroller
More Memories for Sawyer
Sawyer’s new adaptive stroller means MORE MEMORIES, as his mom, Shayna shared with us,
“Having an adaptive stroller for my son means being able to make more memories by going to more places! It means not worrying about walking too far or too long before my son gets too tired to walk. He is growing out of his regular toddler stroller and has exceeded the weight limit. My son loves to get out and explore new places, and this stroller will be the most ideal and comfortable thing for him!”
BONUS PHOTO of Sawyer’s bike fitting (the last step before ordering the equipment), where it’s easy to see how much he loved testing out an adaptive bike!
Core Pediatric Dentistry Sponsor Josephine’s Stroller!
We were SO grateful to Core Pediatric Dentistry for their generous sponsorship of Josephine’s new adaptive stroller!
Her mom, Courtney explained how much it means, “Josephine elopes and wanders, so she has to be in a stroller to stay safe. She also has trouble walking long distances, so a stroller helps her get around. The adaptive stroller will help us in scenarios where the wagon we typically use for her is too big. We are planning a trip to Disney World and want to make sure that the stroller we have for her will be the most comfortable and safe.”
Matteo Can Simply, Enjoy Being A Kid
We were beaming with JOY, as Matteo received his new adaptive bike AND adaptive stroller a few months ago, and we’re STILL SMILING because of his mom, Rebecca who explained what this bike means,
“We try to keep Matteo included in all the activities we do, and an adaptive bike will greatly help with that! He loves going fast and the wind blowing on him, and his three sisters like to have him next to them for everything! Thank you for this program and giving Matteo the opportunity to ride bikes and enjoy being a kid!”
Thanks to Variety’s My Bike® Program and My Stroller® Program, Matteo now has the freedom to go anywhere and easily be included in all activities!
Oh, the places Aiden will go!!
Don’t miss reading the immediate difference an adaptive stroller makes for Aiden and his family, as his mom, Kimberlee shared,
“Aiden has difficulty walking long distances and therefore it limits where we can go. He also has a tendency to run from me and I am unable to keep his pace.
An adaptive stroller provides necessary safety as well as freedom to take my son to new places!
Aiden is a bigger 8-year-old boy, and has outgrown all the strollers on the market, so your help obtaining an adaptive stroller allows Aiden and I to experience so many new places.”
Thanks to Variety’s My Stroller® Program, Aiden has an adaptive stroller to take him anywhere!
Strollers for Twin Brothers!
6-year-old twin brothers, Michael and Anthony both received their new adaptive strollers in January.
Their mom, Melissa shared why it’s so much more than a stroller,
“Having adaptive strollers for Michael and Anthony allows for my children to be exposed to community outings safely.
Both boys are an elopement risk and as a result, it makes going out anywhere, including theme parks, stores or even the park a huge challenge!
These special strollers allow for safety, peace of mind, awareness and a better quality of life for my children and me.”
The AllOne Foundation generously sponsored both strollers (and dozens more) for Michael, Anthony, and kids throughout the Northeastern PA region!
A Day of Joy for Monique!
It was a day of JOY when Monique received her second new adaptive stroller (after growing out of the first one)!
We were especially grateful to her mom Tiffany, who helped us understand how critical this equipment is for their whole family, by saying,
“The stroller will help us out tremendously. I am a single parent and do all the transporting to and from multiple monthly doctors’ appointments and outpatient therapies. I also have a medical condition and lifting her heavy wheelchair has caused me to suffer from back pain.
It is very hard transporting Monique in her wheelchair because it alone weighs over 70lbs (not including Monique’s weight). So, we have to pass up trips to zoo or other outings because it’s very hard for me to lift and transport the wheelchair.
We are a previous recipient of a Variety My Stroller, which she had for 7 years. It helped us out a lot but unfortunately, she has physically outgrown the stroller. With a new adaptive stroller, we can attend field trips and do other extracurricular activities with ease, so we’re very excited for the new stroller.”
Thanks to Variety’s My Stroller® Program, Monique AND her family can go anywhere, together!
Liam’s Summer Adventures w/ Adaptive Stroller!
“I wanted to make sure that we shared how absolutely life-changing Liam’s adaptive stroller has been for our family, and I wanted to share photos from our adventures this summer!
The stroller has opened up opportunities for us that I hadn’t even anticipated… We have been able to go on outings as family and feel secure in the fact that Liam is safe and comfortable.
We are now able to eat at restaurants as a family, go on walks as a family, and Liam EVEN went fishing for the first time in his life because of his stroller!
Most people don’t consider the isolation that special needs families go through, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for improving not only Liam’s life, but mine too.
From Liam and our entire family, we thank you!!”
KDKA News Highlights Elopement & Impact of Stroller
In terms of having an immediate impact on a child’s life, and the lives of their whole family, an adaptive stroller has been critical, especially for kids with elopement issues.
However, the need for this equipment, as well as the impact it can have are invisible to the majority of us – e.g. this isn’t your typical toddler stroller.
Don’t miss this transformative news story by KDKA’s Kristine Sorensen that features Kristin, mother of Kolton, who intimately shares the impact of an adaptive stroller with us all.
Pittsburgh-area family credits charity with life-changing device – click the link to watch and share.
The story also features Dr. Alan Kohrt, former Board Member, American Academy of Pediatrics, who provided striking data and expertise on kids with elopement issues (see below).
Thank you for being a part of the Variety community, where IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!
P.S. You can help us spread the word that My Stroller exists by sharing this story with your network – https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/variety-the-childrens-charity-pittsburgh-life-changing-devices/
Joey Experienced Fall w/ Adaptive Stroller
Amanda recently detailed how her son’s adaptive stroller ensured that Joey didn’t miss out on experiencing his favorite time of the year, the FALL!
Amanda began by explaining some of the heart break along Joey’s journey, but the ending is truly all smiles for their whole family – don’t miss reading to the end.
We’re so grateful to Amanda, who shared with us,
“Halloween, or maybe just everything ‘Fall’ related, has always been Joey’s favorite time of the year!
He loves the pumpkin patch, corn mazes, apple picking, leaf covered trails, etc.
However, Joey was diagnosed with brain cancer at 5, and his life -saving treatments affected his ability to walk.
Although, he is making great strides with rehabilitation, it’s a very long journey and Joey continues to remain wheelchair-bound at 7 years old.
We tried a simple pumpkin patch last year, with Mom bearing the brunt of the piggy back rides! Fortunately for Joey, he continues to grow as a normal child would. Unfortunately for mom, Joey is heavy!!
Honestly, I didn’t think we would ever be able to navigate Joey’s favorite season/holiday again.
Fall Festivals, especially in hilly Western PA, just aren’t wheelchair friendly beyond the farmer markets…..
We cannot thank you enough for Joey’s stroller that he received in August!
We’ve been to fields, on gravel, and even walked to the local pond with his class.
Today, we ventured to a Fall Festival!!”
Joey’s mom further explained why an adaptive stroller impacts their entire family, by saying,
“Joey’s adaptive stroller helps us navigate terrain that is more difficult for his wheelchair. It allows Joey to attend his brother’s sporting events easier, since many soccer fields are difficult for wheelchairs.
In addition, the stroller helps his grandparents take him places, since the stroller is easier for lifting into their vehicles, and it can fit!
The stroller also helps Joey’s older brother navigate Joey to fun places and not always have to rely on mom and dad to do the pushing!”
With more than 100 applications in-process for kids that need their own adaptive stroller, your support has never been greater for this program.
Embracing Their Struggles & Providing HOPE
It’s another reason to smile, as Maryn’s mom, Jolie explained the daily challenges their family faces, and the ways that Variety helped to make life better.
Jolie shared,
“People don’t see the struggles we go through on a daily basis to normalize life for our kids and get them out into the community… It is overwhelming and difficult.
For example, breaking down a large wheelchair is really tough. If you don’t have family around to help, it is even more difficult. And, no one understands.
Variety is a blessing and Maryn’s adaptive stroller makes such a difference!
Maryn also received a communication device, and now she has a voice!
Just now, she let us know with her device that she wanted something to drink, so we were able to get her a drink.
You can see the frustration and the meltdowns when Maryn can’t communicate, but this device truly gives her a voice.
The device helps us understand all these things that make her world go round. It takes so much stress off of not just Maryn, but the family as a whole.
Maryn has a twin sister, Amae, who also received an adaptive bike from Variety… your organization has been such a blessing for our family.”