A Help Hope Live Client Case Study with Keather Littlejohn
Part of the Mid-Atlantic Catastrophic Injury Fund
OVERVIEW
The family of steadfast and positive 15-year-old Keather Littlejohn turned to Help Hope Live after an accident left Keather with paralysis from the waist down. Fundraising became a critical ingredient to make Keather’s Philadelphia row home wheelchair accessible.
THE PROBLEM
Because the cost of home modifications for Keather’s wheelchair was not covered by insurance, the teen was confined to the first floor of her home. Her grandfather and father had to carry Keather and her wheelchair down her building’s front stairs just to get Keather to school or allow her to see her friends and interact with the community.
THE SOLUTION/APPROACH
A Client Services Coordinator at Help Hope Live had a feeling that Keather’s story would inspire the local media to amplify her need…and she was right.
Our pitch about Keather’s campaign resulted in an interview on a local TV station. Anonymous donors contributed $20,000 in donations to Help Hope Live in Keather’s honor, exceeding the family’s fundraising goal.
THE OUTCOME
Through the fundraising campaign in Keather’s honor, Help Hope Live was able to fund the wheelchair lift that radically changed the teen’s life by making the entrance of her row home accessible to her.
Years later, the family reached out to us again when that life-changing wheelchair lift needed an update, and we were there to help make it happen.
The Help Hope Live Touch
We inspired one station to amplify a need with our outreach, but that outreach also inspired our team to reconsider our strategy for future press pitching.
We applied what we learned to make future press pitches on behalf of campaigns across the country more impactful, compelling, and meaningful, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars raised since to fund critical needs.
“I’ve been out with my friends more…It’s changed my life tremendously in a good way.”
