(Names have been removed for the privacy of our grantees)
SS has been with Keller Williams since July 2014 when she became executive assistant to her operating principal. Just weeks after joining the team, she married her longtime beau and they now have two children together. Their son, T., is kind and energetic; their four-year-old daughter, H., has been dubbed “Sunshine” by her brother.
H. has a rare neurological condition that causes progressive stiffness and weakness in the muscles of the lower limbs and leads to difficulties in walking and performing daily activities. As the geneticist says, this is something akin to a “lightning strike” at conception.
Her condition is exceptionally rare, with around 8,000 cases in the US, and is further complicated by several additional impairments. H. currently uses bilateral PLS ankle-foot orthoses, a posterior walker, and a manual wheelchair to aid in her mobility. She requires constant support and supervision to manage her evolving care needs. Despite making incredible gains, she requires direct intervention and/or caregiver assistance with all activities of daily living.
A Place to Call Home
In the spring of 2023, even prior to receiving a formal diagnosis, the family knew they needed to find a new home–a single-level property that could accommodate the tiniest of wheelchairs and walkers along with the most determined two-and-a-half-year-old heart. They found a one-story ranch, but in a competitive market, there were 9 other offers on the table.
“It was an overwhelming and high stakes process but we liquidated investment accounts, borrowed from family members, and used the bulk of our savings to present the most attractive offer possible.”-SS
But even after finding a place to call home, the house required substantial modifications to accommodate mobility and developmental needs and to make their home ADA compliant. Also, while H. is prescribed more than 300 various therapy visits a year, their insurance only covers 60, and until she was able to get on a secondary plan, they’ve had to pay for all those extra visits out of pocket.
Where Things Are Now
Today, the family is very much in the throes of construction, modifying their home to make it safe for H. and safe for her caregivers. While the benefits of these accessibility-focused modifications are countless, the financial safety net the family worked so diligently to build is now wearing thin.
SS had to step down from her role as Director of Operations and now has a part-time administrative role with the Market Center to provide the support and care coordination that H. needs.
What KW Cares Can Do
We were so glad that SS reached out to us for help. KW Cares was able to provide a Catastrophic Hardship Grant to help pay for some of the renovation costs on the new home. We’re thrilled to help families build a safe place to grow in love.
“You have helped to make our home both safe and accessible. My daughter can now access parts of our home that were once out of reach and, for the first time, is able to navigate in and out of our house safely and independently. The confidence and joy that she experiences, as a result, are cause for daily celebration. I could not be more thankful.” -SS
How You Help through KW Cares
KW Cares provides dozens of emergency grants every year to help families recover when the unexpected happens.
KW Cares offers grants that help our associates modify their homes when the need for mobility accommodations becomes necessary.
Your gifts to KW Cares help KW families navigate difficult life circumstances. Please donate today!
“I will forever be grateful to the team at KW Cares and to the Keller Williams community members who give so generously to this cause. Together, you are an extraordinary force for good, and I only wish you could know just how meaningful this gift has been for my family.” -SS
