Daniela- age 7

Diagnosis- Atrophy Muscular Spinal
Contribution- Funds for a Used Mini Van with wheel chair lift


Thank you so much for your donation to help our daughter, Daniela. This will allow us to acquire a used mini van with a ramp so that Daniela will be able to access the community in her motorized chair. We believe this will greatly improve Daniela's quality of life. The wheel chair provides some very needed functions to help Daniela that would otherwise not be available to her when we are out in the community. Besides providing her some feeling of independence, it will also help her medical condition.

Thank you,
Daniela's family

William- age 7

Diagnosis: Shaken Baby Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Seizure Disorder, Blind
Purchased-Specialized Push Chair

Thank you so much for my wonderful new push chair! I have had the same one since I was a baby, and I really outgrew it. I was very uncomfortable in the old one. This new push chair is so much better and safer for me. God bless you all!

Thank you,
Grandma, Grandpa and William

Nicholas - age 5

I feel so blessed to have found the Ricky King Children Foundation. My son Nicholas has improved so much in such little time since we recieved all your help with his equipment. We need more people in this world to help our children like you. Nicholas will thrive and shine each day as he grows thanks to you all! We are still praying every day that he will speak, and now he will be able to ride a bike with his twin sister Franchesca, and his older sisiter Isabella. We can now do things as a family again....

Thank You,
Theresa

Nicholas is part of a family of 5. Nicholas is autistic, but has a twin sister who is healthy. Nicholas was provided an Auditory integration devices, a weighted vest and a special bicycle for his severe sensory issues that are a result of his autism.

Allie - age 2

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

Words cannot describe our gratitude for Allie's mobility car. Allie was born with Spina Bifida. She is two years old and her only means of getting around on her own is to commando crawl, while all the other children in her daycare class are walking and running around her. This will do more than you know for her confidence and she will be able to keep up with the other kids, which up until now has isolated her.

Thank you for allowing our daughter the opportunity to ride (run) and play with other children.

Thank you,
Kristen

The Ricky King Children's Fund purchased Allie a pre-wheelchair pediatric mobility aid.

Talia

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

I want to thank you so much for your help! By your kindness and generosity, Talia now has a pair of arch supports that will improve her orthopedic health and day to day quality of life. Your organization has truly been a blessing to our family! God bless you richly, as you have truly made a difference in our lives for the positive!

Thank you,
Rosemary

The Fund purchased Talia orthopedic arch supports.

Cristan

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

Thank you so much for purchasing a Special Needs Stroller for my three year old son. He is getting very heavy and his wheelchair is too difficult to transport.

Thanks again,
Cristan's mom

Cristan suffers from epilepsy, GI problems and asthma. The Ricky King Children's Fund purchased him a Convaid Metro Stroller with the necessary accessories to ensure his safety.

Dayna

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

I appreciate your help with providing Dayana with a sliding board. The sliding board will allow me to transfer Dayana more easily, and allow us to go more places.

Thank you very much,
Elisa

Dayana suffers from Cerebral Palsy and is in a wheelchair.

Kiara

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund, Thank you so much for helping during this tough time in our lives! The specialized protective undergarments will help us care for Kiara for a long time!

Thank you,
Paula

Kiara suffers from Schizencephaly. Schizencephaly is an extremely rare developmental birth defect characterized by abnormal slits, or clefts, in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Babies with clefts in both hemispheres (called bilateral clefts) commonly have developmental delays, delays in speech and language skills, and problems with brain-spinal cord communication. Individuals with clefts in only one hemisphere (called unilateral clefts) are often paralyzed on one side of the body, but may have average to near-average intelligence. Individuals with schizencephaly may also have an abnormally small head, mental retardation, partial or complete paralysis, or poor muscle tone. Most will experience seizures.

Paris

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

Thank you so much for providing us with a generator. The scare of living here in Florida with no electricity is a high concern for my son's health. He has Cystic Fibrosis and relies on electricity for his treatments. Again thank you for the help.

Thanks,
Michelle

Paris suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and ashtma. The Fund purchased a generator for Paris, because electricity is vital to getting his treatments which are needed for his survival.

Leslie	Angli

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

A special blessing and a huge thank you to the Ricky King Children's Fund...for bringing a smile NOT only to both of my special needs girls, but to all of us. You have to live in my shoes to understand the great impact and differences you have brought to our daily lives. We have now, the ability to go to places I never could take my children. They both have asked me to take them to the zoo to be able to feed a goat and pet an elephant. Now I am able to take them there, to the shell factory to see the Waltzing Waters, the mall to have their photo taken with Santa Claus and most of all:to the parks to watch my oldest daughter play Volleyball. Now my older daughter and I can chat as the girls enjoy looking around. My mom and I pray every afternoon around 3 PM...I want you to know that we include Ricky King Fund and staff in our prayers. You are hope for the needy, a light at the end of the tunnel, a true outreach for angels with broken wings and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely,
Martha.

Leslie and Angli both suffer from Michrosefaly. The Fund provided them with a mobile positioning system for transportation of both girls.

Alex

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

I need help getting this lift for my son because he it is getting very hard to lift him from the bed and a regular lift won't work in his room. Please, my back is hurting from lifting him every afternoon. You are helping to make things better for me and my son.

Thanks,
Sandro

Alex suffers from congenital mycochondrial myopathy. He is ventilator dependent and has virtually no ability to use his voluntary/skeletal muscles. He is totally bedridden. The Fund provided Alex with a lift to provide safer transfer to and from his bed. Alex weighs more than 100 pounds.

Carlos

Dear Ricky King Children's Fund,

Thank you for helping my son in providing the funds needed to purchase electrodes for the vital sim therapy. Without your help, my son, Carlos would not have had the help needed to rehabilitate the muscles needed for swallowing.

Thank you and may God keep blessing you all,
Irma R.

Dear Ricky King Fund,

I was at a loss for help before I found The Ricky King Children's Fund. The foundation has been a godsend as we had no where to turn. We didn't have the resources to provide our daughter with this treatment. Thank God and thank the Committee for their thoughtfulness and willingness to help in times of extreme need, when it comes to children.

Robyn (Amaya's mother)
2004

Amaya has muscular torticollis, which caused her head to become flattened and deformed. To remedy this, The Ricky King Children's Fund provided Amaya with a Starband cranial remolding orthosis.

Dear Ricky King Fund Grant Committee,

Thank you very much for your generous donation of a generator for our two year old daughter Andrea. Because she is on a ventilator, we are definitely electricity-dependent. The summer storms and frequent loss of electrical power concerns us - not to mention the fear of a power loss due to a hurricane. We are so grateful to have Andrea still in our lives. We are also grateful, and at times overwhelmed by the generosity of the community. We feel very blessed.

Lena and Troy Costain

Dear Ricky King Fund Grant Committee,

Thank you very much for installing the ramp for Terric. He's at the age where he's growing like a weed. He's picked up extra pounds. It was getting too difficult for me to lift him in and out of the car seat. With the ramp its much easier, plus less strain on my back. Both Terric and I really appreciate the help we've received from The Ricky King Children's Fund.

Thank you so much.

Tronda Frazier

Dear Ricky King Fund Foundation,

Thank you for providing our daughter Alexa with the tools necessary for her to reach her maximum potential. This is a wonderful thing you do to help the families of Southwest Florida

Taimie Hoffman
2004

Dear Ricky King Fund Grant Committee,

Thank you so much for helping us get a Freedom Motors rear entry conversion system for our van. The van we had was too small for Adam to fit into with his electric wheelchair, so we were unable to take him to the movies or to the park to play with his brother and sister. He was unable to attend after school functions such as dances and basketball games. For doctors appointments, we had to carry him. We are now able to go anywhere and Adam is able to use his electric wheelchair. He loves his new independence.

You have truly helped to enhance his life.

Dear Mr. King & your caring family, Board of Directors, Mrs.Cardillo, and to all of the many kind people who support the missions of the The Ricky King Fund,

My Mother and I are writing to all of you to thank you for you're generous support in enabling us to purchase a specialized van from Ocean Conversion of Fort Myers.

I am 12 years old and going into 7th grade, I play the cello in our school Orchestra. My mother is disabled and I spend most of my time in a power wheel chair. We did not have the ability to pay for the special equipment to make the vehicle accessible for me. Your help gives us the freedom to travel to obtain medical care, and I got to see my first Major League Baseball game - the Marlins Vs the Mets, at the Pro Player stadium in Miami. This event was sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

We will be able to take my new van to summer camp in Brandon, Florida, hosted by the great people of MDA.

My Mom and I are able to go to Dairy Queen, the grocery store, and other places with far more ease and safety with my special van!

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. God bless all of you.

Most sincerely yours,

Michael Joseph Dolny and my Mother Cathy Bradley

Dear Ricky King Fund Grant Committee,

It would be the greatest thing in the world for me to be able to take my daughter out with me. We could go to the mall, bowling, out to eat, and to any appointment she may have. I would be, and my daughter most of all, so thankful to God and you, one in the same, for this chance.

Thank you,

Linda Cox

Dear Ricky King Fund,

You have made our life so much easier. We can go shopping for groceries, for clothes, and for the new lip gloss that Nicole wanted. Now, every Wednesday night, Nicole can go to church. We can take her fishing, or go to the beach. With the lift, she can sit up higher in the van, so she can see where she's going and what's going by. We'd like to thank you for what you have done. It means so much to me, and always will. Thank goodness there are people out there like you.

Love,

Nicole's Mom

Dear Ricky King Fund,

How can we thank you for the wonderful thing you have done for Matthew? It is so nice to see him out of bed and going places again. The smile on his face is worth a million dollars to me.

You are a Godsend to us. Thank you for everything you have done. You are very special to us.

Love,

Karen Dunning
1997

Dear Ricky King Fund,

I would just like to take a moment to once again thank you for all of your help in obtaining my daughter, Jennifer's ThAIRapy Vest. It has made a big difference in her life, since she received it in March 1998. Without your help we never would have been able to get it for her. Jennifer has Cystic Fibrosis, and she has the independence of being able to do her therapy on her own now, whereas before she was dependent on myself or someone else to "clap" her. Also, the vest does do a great job of therapy for her. She uses it twice a day. She was recently hospitalized for her IV therapy and has done wonderfully. In the past she has stayed in the hospital for up to three weeks and has required oxygen. This stay was for only four days, and no oxygen was required.

In March 1999, Jennifer was put on the waiting list at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, in Gainesville for a double lung transplant. We were told that the wait is usually two years.

Sincerely,

Heather Knight
January 2000

Randell has cerebral palsy and has been through some hard times. A special chair was recommended by his neurologist and there was no other source of funding for this chair. "The chair has been such a blessing. You can't imagine what a joy it's been."

Sincerely,

Randell's Grandmother

2001 Anonymous is a 10 year old child who needed a lightweight EZ rider mobile positioning system.

2001
David is a 12 year old with brain cancer. He needed cement, lumber, and other materials plus labor, to build a wheelchair ramp in order to go to school.

2000
Anonymous needed help with ventilator, humidifier and other equipment rental vital to survival.

2000
Anonymous needed a sling wheelchair equipped with oxygen and I.V. capabilities.

1999
Andrian is an 8 year old child not eligible for Medicaid and is mentally retarded. Andrian is unable to walk and the family had no resources to buy a wheelchair. We were able to obtain a wheelchair.

1999
Angela is confined to a wheelchair with spina biffada and scoliosis. She needed specialized care for a period of one week.

1999
Kevin is a teenager who needed help towards his long term specialized care.

1999
Benny is severely disabled and needed an electric wheelchair device to operate lights and the television while his mother was at work.

1999
Elias is a 5 year old child with a seizure disorder. Elias has the capacity of a 10 month old infant and can barely sit. They needed a specialized custom made car seat.

1999
Anonymous is the baby of a teenager. She was born with a rare condition that requires special medication and specialty-type diapers.

1998
Paul is an 18 month old infant that lives with foster parents who are in the process of adoption. He cannot sit, stand or crawl. The parents needed a Blue Wave Bathing System to stabilize bathing activities and to avoid injury.

1998
Ana is a 5 year old child, only 24 inches tall. She needed cement, lumber, and other materials plus labor, to build a wheelchair ramp.

1998
Christopher is a 3 year old child that needed a nebulizer. The company renting the breathing machine to the family was going to repossess it. We bought them one of their own.

1997
Anonymous is a child with serious skin problems and needed a special plastic bedding cover.