Emily Progin, Content Manager
eprogin@helphopelive.org / 800.642.8399
Release: Immediate
JULY 28 FUNDRAISER TO FUND MEDICAL COSTS FOR 8-YEAR-OLD
Community Has Raised Over $60,000 in Madalyn’s Honor
HIAWATHA, Iowa—On Sunday, July 28, the community will gather at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for a light lunch and silent auction—all in support of an important local cause. Funds raised at the Wheels for Madalyn fundraiser on July 28 will help the family of 8-year-old Madalyn Shepherd, who is living with complex medical diagnoses, fund an accessible van and medical expenses.
Fundraiser Details
When: Sunday, July 28 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1350 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233
What: Fundraiser through the national nonprofit Help Hope Live to help offset medical costs and a wheelchair accessible van.
Includes: A light lunch and a silent auction
Cost: Suggested in-person donation of $10 per plate of food
Contact: Teresa Nennig, tnennig61@gmail.com
Flyer: Attached
See Silent Auction Items: https://bit.ly/3W11V9F
Can’t Make It? Donate Online: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/23317/
Madalyn’s Story
The community of 8-year-old Madalyn Shepherd has raised over $60,000 since January 2024 through a fundraising campaign with the nonprofit Help Hope Live to help fund a life-changing accessible van that can accommodate Madalyn’s wheelchair plus other critical out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Madalyn is living with an undiagnosed neurological condition that doctors from several major hospitals can’t treat or cure. She has limited verbal abilities, uses a wheelchair for mobility, and receives supplemental feedings through a feeding tube. Madalyn requires around-the-clock care with a developmental age estimated at between 2 and 3 years old.
Despite all these challenges, as her mom Elizabeth Shepherd explained, “She is the embodiment of joy.” Madalyn loves to “sing” at church, laugh at her siblings, and participate in horse therapy. Like other kids her age, she loves to play in the pool with assistance—and she hates broccoli and having her hair or teeth brushed.
Fundraising with the nonprofit Help Hope Live is critical to getting Madalyn the care she needs to live and thrive. A wheelchair van is just one example of the essential but financially overwhelming expenses that improve life for Madalyn and her family—but are not covered by insurance.
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 $181 million to pay patient expenses. ###
