A gift for the children of Alex's institution

Hello, everyone.  We have an opportunity and ask for your help.

We have a friend who is going to Ukraine in one month, and will be in the town Alex's institution is in.  She has agreed to carry over money from us (and our friends) and hand it to the director of the institution as a gift for the children there.

When we took Alex home, we left behind more than one hundred children, ages 4-16 (mostly), all with severe disabilities. Some are available for adoption (interested? talk to us!), but many, most, are not.  The director is a very responsible woman who is trying her best to provide care for all these young people, and has done a lot to transform the institution (e.g., adding electricity, planting extensive gardens and orchards, adding playground equipment). But Ukraine does not fund these institutions well, so there is a lot of making do on very low funds--the diet is the diet of the poor, the windows need replacing but that is expensive, any "extras" in that orphanage are usually donated rather than acquired. We donated Alex's care-giving funds (they came from the state with our adoption) to the institution, and the director said she was going to buy meat with it. Meat is rare in the diet of these kids, which is one reason Alex was "morbidly iron-deficient" when we brought him home. The director was very interested in us seeing the receipt, offered that we could come and observe the purchase, etc. This is all to say that the money is needed, it is well spent, and she spends it on the children.

Wiring money to this small town in the middle of nowhere is a lot more difficult than you might imagine (we've done it before). So this is a great opportunity.

We need to get the money to our friend as soon as possible. We will be making a small donation of our own; if you are interested in joining us, you can send donations via the Paypal button on the sidebar or mail it to us at 664 Winona Street, Winona, Minnesota, 55987. We will accept donations until Jan. 24, and then send the money on its way through our friend.

Thanks for even considering this, folks. I'm afraid this isn't the sort of donation you can write off on your taxes, but you can make children in a very difficult situation a little more comfortable and happy. Pass the word if you know someone else who wishes to help.

God bless,
Susan and Jerry

Alex gets a new Tripp Trapp high chair

About a month ago, Alex got a new Stokke Tripp Trapp chair to better position him at the table. The design is ingeniously simple, as you can see from this video (which comes with an extra helping of Alex/teddy bear cuteness on the side):

Previously, Alex was sitting in a Wenzelite Seat2Go strapped into a regular kitchen chair. It was bulky to move, and because there was no foot rest, every time his spasticity made him straighten out his body (which happens every time he gets excited), his butt would scooch forward a little, which would leave him in a slouched position. It also forced him into a reclining position, and was difficult to clean because it was made of fabric. The Tripp Trapp chair is light, gets him right up to the table in a good position, and is easy to clean.

Contents of the box

It’s relatively easy to assemble; I figured it out in about 45 minutes. You can price them at Amazon, although you might find them cheaper elsewhere. Thanks to Alex's godparents for once again stepping in to help out!