Cheryl Russell

CHERYL NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

I would like to tell you a little bit about my daughter, Cheryl Russell. She was born with a rare genetic brittle bone disease called Osteogensis Imperfecta. This disease has caused Cheryl to have hundreds of fractures throughout her life. Her bones are so brittle that when she was a child she could open a milk carton and fracture her arm, or she could sneeze and break a rib. When Cheryl was very young, doctors would tell me that she would not live to be 16 years old. However, God has blessed her with a much longer life expectancy – Cheryl is now 59 years old.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Cheryl is one of the hardest working people that I have ever known. People are always telling her, “I know normal bodied people that do not do half of what you do in life!” Cheryl is truly an inspiration to all who know her. However, to maintain her independent and active lifestyle, she now is up against a challenge that she cannot meet alone.

Due to years of Ohio winter weather conditions, the chain and motor to the lift on her current 2006 van are completely rusted and can no longer be repaired. Without a van, she is unable to work, run daily errands, and preserve her overall independence. Cheryl now needs a new accessible wheelchair van. As you can imagine, such vehicles are very expensive. The accessible equipment alone costs $20,000. This is where your support is needed.

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Cheryl’s honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the Great Lakes Catastrophic Illness Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for illness-related expenses only. Your consideration of a contribution is greatly appreciated.

For credit card contributions, please click the yellow Donate Now button.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Cheryl at 440-539-2523. Thank you for any help that you can offer.

With sincere gratitude,

Ann Meeks, Cheryl’s Mother