Last night I saw a news story about Heidi, a 9 year old girl, who lives here in the Kansas City Metro area. Heidi is a Quadrilateral Congenital Amputee. Heidi's friend Ellie, lives in the UK, is the same age and has the same condition. They have become fast friends via internet communications.
I have been in contact with Heidi's mother and want to help, and reach out to others who may be able to help even if it is just $5 or $10.
There is an annual International Child Amputee Network conference. http://child-amputee.net/ This year's conference is in Baltimore, MD. Heidi's family as sacrificed so that they could attend every year since she was 3 months old. This is an exceptional learning experience with education being available to these family in one place for these four days. July 17 -21. It also allows the families and children to network and learn from each other, and see that they are not alone.
Heidi and her family are trying to raise enough money to bring Ellie and her family over to the US for this conference. The cost is approximately $9,000. They have raise about 1/2 and time is running out.
Here is a link to the story that was on the news last night:
http://www.kctv5.com/story/22777203/shawnee-girl-seeks-help-to-bring-friend-to-amputee-convention
Below is the printed story. There is video available at the link above. I do not know if the imbedded links in the story below will work or not since I copied and pasted the copyrighted story off of the website. I don't think they will mind since this may help these families. You may have to click the link above to go to the KCTV website for additional donation information.
SHAWNEE, KS (KCTV) -
Heidi Burke is a quadrilateral congenital amputee. The 9-year-old Shawnee girl was born without parts of her arms and legs.
Nearly every year, her family attends the International Child Amputee Network convention. This year's event starts July 17 in Baltimore. They have been going since Heidi was 3 months old.
"The way they just open their arms or knees or whatever, and accepted us. I can't even describe how wonderful it was. Just to spend a weekend with people who knew and had been there and told us we were going to be OK," Heidi's
mother
, Dawn Burke, said.
Heidi is raising money so her friend, Ellie, also a quadrilateral amputee from England, can meet and play with other children like her at the convention.
"I've made friends there. I'm finally taller than a few people there. It's great to see my friends and
play games and have new ideas to so new things," Heidi said.
Heidi said she has learned so much from fellow amputees about how to live life to the fullest. She wants to share that with Ellie.
"Very comforting. Sometimes, I'll ask if I can't stand one thing, I'll ask what do you do and they'll give me a solution," Heidi said.
Heidi has made pleas to friends, neighbors and church members for help.
So fa, they've raised about half of the $9,000 to bring Ellie and her family to Baltimore.
"I really want her to come. It would be very exciting to meet someone exactly like me the same age and everything. It's important," Heidi said.
If you'd like to donate, click
here and search for Dawn Burke (starcrest2510@gmail.com).
Copyright 2013 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.
The link in last line sends you to PayPal. It says to search for Dawn Burke (Starcrest2510@gmail.com). I did that and nothing came up, so when I just entered starcrest2510@gmail.com in the box of who I wanted to send money to, she came up, and it appears that it went through OK.
LET'S ALL HELP THESE PEOPLE OUT.
THEY STRUGGLE WITH SO MUCH MORE THAN WE CAN EVEN IMAGINE.
A FEW DOLLARS FROM OUR POCKETS WON'T BE NOTICED BY US, BUT WILL MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE FOR THEM.
