A Help Hope Live Client Case Study with Kelson Williams
Part of the Mid-Atlantic Catastrophic Illness Fund
OVERVIEW
The family of Kelson Williams, who has cerebral palsy, began fundraising with Help Hope Live in 2022 after receiving an adaptive bike through our partnership with the Flyers Alumni Association.
Kelson’s mother, Stephanie, had a primary goal: to raise funds to cover the cost of his ongoing care, including training for a medically necessary service dog.
THE PROBLEM
Despite the buzzworthy medical need and 12-year-old Kelson’s charisma, his campaign saw little meaningful progress over 2 years. Stephanie expressed how overwhelmed she felt planning in-person fundraisers.
Community support felt stagnant, and our first press outreach for the campaign about a local fundraiser had no traction.
THE SOLUTION
We rethought our strategy, emphasizing how far the campaign had already come with the community’s support. We revised our outreach list completely, making our press outreach more targeted and relevant.
THE OUTCOME
These efforts resulted in a massive and immediate reaction from the local press. Six local stations asked for interviews with the family, which led to Kelson and his community reaching their fundraising goal within hours.
As of May 2026, the campaign in Kelson’s honor has raised over $20,000.
The Help Hope Live Touch
We provided hands-on and on-demand support for each interview—coaching both the Help Hope Live team and the client’s family.
Help Hope Live was prominently featured, spotlighting our mission. In fact, we received a $1,000 donation to our General Operating Fund from a new donor!
Today, Kelson and Stephanie are client Ambassadors who join us in-person for special events and interviews while helping other families like theirs to find Help Hope Live for trusted medical fundraising help.
“Being a part of Help Hope Live has been such an amazing journey. The beautiful people who work for this national organization have not only joined the goals4gus village but have also become people I call friends.”
