Cerebral palsy (CP), a disorder that is caused by damage to the brain during development, means that Oara relies on a wheelchair and does not have the strength or balance to walk unaided or for any length of time. Also, CP impacts Oara’s motor skills and she has exaggerated reflexes which cause her to spasm or collapse suddenly.

Oara is growing up so fast! It used to be easy for us to help her move or she would crawl to wherever she wanted to go, but that is quickly changing. As she’s grown, she can no longer crawl as she did as a small child. This has limited Oara’s ability to move about freely and independently.

* What do we need?

We need your help to afford much-needed updates to our home to give Oara more independence and freedom.

* So, why are we looking for your help?

While Oara has medical insurance and qualifies for financial assistance through the County, Pete and Shanna (co-parents) have to split those assistance funds with Oara’s mother, who also has a home and vehicle that need updates for accessibility. Oara’s father has joint custody and she spends every other week with her mother.

Shanna purchased our home just after Oara’s father and she began dating–before she ever met this amazing little girl and knew about her needs. Our home is a beautiful little bungalow with a large corner lot that was built in the 1940s. We love our home. Oara and her sister love that we have room for swings, hammocks, and a kid-sized pool. But since it was built in the 40s, it is small and not accessible. For example, we can’t fit Oara’s wheelchair in the bathroom, so we must help her walk to use the toilet and bathtub. We also do not have ramp access to the house so we have to lug her manual chair up the stairs. This also means that she cannot get her power chair into our home.

* What exactly are we hoping to update?

There are so many updates that we need to make Oara’s life easier and more independent, but here are the ones we hope you can help us achieve:

– Ramps and deck modifications for the house; changing the layout of the entryway to ensure powerchair access, including relocating the door (estimated at $15,000 over what county aid can cover)
– Bathroom expansion and direct access to Oara’s bedroom (estimated at $15,00).

* When do we need the updates?

We would love to update everything immediately, but our finances don’t align with that plan. Our first action would be the ramps to help make home access easier. The entry and bathroom are equally important since both would give Oara more freedom and independence.

Can you help us provide Oara with the same basic access that the rest of us take for granted?

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Family and friends of Oarabile Langa are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Illness.

Oarabile has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!