Community Rallying to Help Joyful 5-Year-Old with Disabilities

Emily Progin, Content Manager

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Release: Immediate

COMMUNITY RALLYING TO HELP JOYFUL 5-YEAR-OLD WITH DISABILITIES

$1,400 Raised in Two Weeks Towards Life-Changing Accessible Van for Stella

PRATTVILLE, Ala.—The community of 5-year-old Stella Rae Kirkpatrick, who is living with multiple disabilities, is coming together to fund a critical need. A wheelchair van is a life-changing need for Stella, but insurance won’t help with the cost, leaving her family with a $30,000 out-of-pocket burden. They are partnering with the trusted nonprofit Help Hope Live on a medical fundraising campaign to bring a van within reach—the community’s generosity has raised over $1,400 in just two weeks.

Stella is living with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and HIE, or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. When she was born, her heart stopped for nearly 18 minutes. Stella cannot sit or stand without assistance and uses a wheelchair for mobility.

Despite her medical challenges, Stella is joyful and engaged: as parents explain, “She loves family and friends, and she has the most infectious laugh.” Stella enjoys Cocomelon, her cats, and the water.

Stella must attend regular specialist appointments out-of-town as well as consistent therapy to stay as healthy and mobile as possible. Right now, Stella’s family struggles to transfer her wheelchair in and out of a standard vehicle. As she grows, it will become risky for both Stella and her parents to continue making this transfer.

A wheelchair van will ensure Stella can safely and consistently access medical care, therapy, and her community. However, insurance won’t help with the cost, leaving her family with a $30,000 out-of-pocket price tag—a cost they can’t cover on their own.

That’s why they turned to the trusted medical fundraising nonprofit Help Hope Live. Donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22336/

The Prattville community has already raised over $1,400 in just two weeks.

Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.

Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $172 million to pay patient expenses. ###