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A Labor of Love Family with Two Terminally Ill Sons Needs Transporation Assistance On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Kennesaw-Acworth Lions Club will be hosting their Annual Fall Car Show at the Depot in downtown Kennesaw. This is just one of many events we are hosting in our efforts to raise funds for a single mother who has two children with Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy, the terminal form of the disease. This family is in need of a handicapped van that will allow the transport of the boys in their electronic wheelchairs to and from doctor’s appointments. To date, due to their small two-door compact car, this family has never been to a ballgame or any other simple outing together. Most victims of this disease have a limited life expectancy of not more than the mid-twenties, and they are currently ages 13 and 16. The mother, Michelle Patterson, works for the Cobb County School District and attends college at night. They desperately need appropriate transportation, and the Lion’s Club has agreed to help raise the approximate $40,000 needed for the vehicle and the handicapped conversion. $5,000 has been raised to date, a commitment from the Fragile Kids Foundation to be applied toward the conversion which will cost nearly $23,000. Both boys are in motorized wheelchairs and when they have to be transported to the doctor or elsewhere, their mother has to lift them into their chairs, take them outside to the two-door car, lift them back out again and then place them into the car. Only one child at a time can be transported as her car will only hold a portable wheelchair. Then, upon arrival to their destination, the process has to be repeated. Both boys are over 6 feet tall (even at 13 and 16) and weigh 145 and 165 pounds. Obviously, this is a backbreaking endeavor for the mother. We cannot imagine doing this every day of our lives to get to and from school or to other appointments. A mother’s love has strange powers. Michelle is one of the most positive people I know. She never complains, always has a sense of humor and teaches me more about what is important in life than I’ve ever learned in my 40+ years. She works full time, cares for her four children, and goes to school at night working on her goal of a degree in childhood education. She knows firsthand that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff in life, and one of my favorite “Michelle-isms” is “It just isn’t that deep,” no matter what the situation. I know in my heart that her ultimate desire is to be able to take her entire family, at the same time, to a ballgame or to six flags, or anywhere that would be a fun day for her children. I don’t think that is too much to ask. Rebecca Whicker Co-worker
Please consider helping us help this deserving Kennesaw family by supporting our event or donating to the cause online. All donations and sponsorships are tax deductible (Tax ID# 56-2597867).
The Kennesaw-Acworth Lions Club assists
a number of charitable organizations throughout each year. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the KAL donated money
to the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, Paws for Patriots, Georgia Lighthouse for the Blind and the Kennesaw Chapter of Concerns
of Police Survivors.
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