We want to sincerely thank everyone that donated money towards the Go Fund Me campaign for Félip. We also wanted to thank anyone that shared the link or took the time to read our description. Many family members and friends have chosen to donate money directly to us instead of going through the Go Fund Me website. Therefore, the actual total amount of money raised is higher than what is currently stated on the Go Fund Me page. As of writing this post the total amount of money collected from the fundraising campaign is $11,800! That’s incredible! We are so thankful for the support and assistance for Félip!

This money will make such a big difference in Félip’s care and mobility. To show our appreciation we also want to be fully transparent and keep everyone updated on how we’re spending this money. So far we’ve purchased one piece of equipment with some of the funds. We also have many ways coming up for us to put the rest of the money to good use.

The cost of raising a disabled child

Raising a disabled child like Félip can be very challenging. One particular challenge is the cost of all the specialized equipment that he needs. With Félip’s cognitive and physical disabilities we have already acquired a few pieces of equipment: a portable suction pump, a portable oxygen tank (in case of emergency), a supportive bath chair, a Special Tomato Soft-Touch Sitter, and a standing frame. Now that he’s 2 years old, we’re looking at the next stage of mobility and supportive equipment which includes a wheelchair, an outdoor lift and a wheelchair accessible vehicle. We’re also discussing track and harness systems for inside the house to move him around.

None of this equipment is cheap. Fortunately, the government of Alberta has a program called Alberta Aids to Activities of Daily Living (Alberta AADL). The program usually covers 75% of eligible equipment purchases but the parent contribution portion can only total a maximum of $500 per yearly cycle. Which means that we effectively only pay $500 per year, even if we end up getting several pieces of equipment. It’s truly a great program and has been a tremendous help. However, there are certain pieces of equipment that aren’t covered by AADL. An example would be that AADL will cover his wheelchair purchase but not the wheelchair accessible vehicle (and/or a conversion) nor any home lifts or ramps for wheelchair accessibility. Similarly they cover a harness to be used with a track system in the house but none of the tracks and/or the installation of them. This leaves a pretty significant gap where parents like us are supposed to pick up the bill.

This is why your donations will be very helpful. They will be spent on equipment to help us take care of Félip and keep taking him out into the world.

A special ride for a special guy

The first purchase we’ve made with the money from the fundraiser is a very special stroller for Félip. He had outgrown his previous stroller and we needed something supportive and functional. We bought a Special Tomato Jogger!

This stroller is much more versatile than what we had before. It rides smoothly on almost any surface with its big wheels, it has an adjustable height handle, it has plenty of space for Félip to grow in and the back can recline to help with positioning him. We’ve been loving it and feel like we can go for longer walks and even use it in the house as a makeshift wheelchair!

We already had a supportive seat by the same brand, the Special Tomato Soft-Touch Sitter, that we use in the house. It has a wooden base on wheels on which we can also incline the seat.

The great thing about both of these being from the same brand is that we get to use them together. We insert his supportive seat into his stroller which helps with positioning and keeps him from slouching too much.

Félip loves going on walks and being outdoors. The new stroller enables us to keep taking him out on walks, bringing him when we go to the dog park with the dogs and we’ve even taken it on a small hike in the mountains!

True friends

We wanted to say a special thank you to our friends Jared & Hannah. They had the idea to start the Go Fund Me page fundraiser and organized everything. They’re our closest friends here in Calgary and we’ve come to consider them family. They’ve been right by our side since the start of our adventure, helping us in any way possible. I remember them coming to pick up and help Robyn when she landed at the airport after being away for over a month in hospitals in New-Brunswick and Quebec. Robyn was feeling overwhelmed and emotional and they both came to pick her up and drove our car home for her.

We are lucky and thankful to have friends like them. Being so far away from family can be tough sometimes. Especially when you have kids. Our family would love to be here to help us care for Félip.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post. Stay tuned for updates on how we spend the rest of the donations!

As always… Love. Laugh. Repeat.