Help Amy Higgins

My name is Jen, and I am hoping to raise money for the Higgins Family. My sister Amy is married to Pete who is a Chicago Police officer. Amy and Pete have been married since 2006, and they have four kids. John (15), Leah (13), Erin (11), and Nora (9) have had their lives turned upside down since Amy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2019. Pete and the kids take amazing care of Amy on a daily basis. They have been blessed to have the help of family and the Mount Greenwood community. I am hoping that this help can continue in the form of raising money to get an ability vehicle for safely transporting Amy.

Since her initial diagnosis and treatments, Amy has had the daily challenge of mobility. At first, with some minor adjustments, Amy was able to get around her home and be transported to her kids' events and activities. However, unfortunately, her MS has progressed very rapidly, and her needs have increased greatly. It has become much more difficult to get Amy out of her home to be present for her kids. More recently, a ramp has been added to the home. This is very helpful in getting her to the garage. However, getting her out of the wheelchair and into the family vehicle has become less safe, more difficult, and requires multiple adults.

Unfortunately, the timing of her diagnosis coincided with the time that Amy had planned to go back to work as a nurse after being a stay-at-home mom. Sadly, the rapid progression of her MS has made it impossible to go back to work. This, along with her significant medical bills and the cost of raising a young family, has put the cost of a mobility van far out of reach for the family.

The addition of a mobility van would change Amy's daily life. The progression of her MS has significantly reduced her mobility to almost 100% wheelchair dependency and the lack of a proper, safe mobility van will increasingly make her a prisoner in her own home. It would allow Amy to get out of the home with the help of one person. It would eliminate her needing to be moved from the wheelchair to the passenger seat which can at times be impossible, but also dangerous for her and the person(s) helping her. It is heartbreaking for everyone, especially her kids, when Amy needs to miss out on events due to the challenge of transportation. A mobility vehicle would help to get Amy where she needs to go safely. It would also increase her ability to be present for her family, enjoy the simple trips out and about, and get to her MANY doctor appointments that many of us take for granted.

Please consider giving what you can to change Amy and Pete's lives. Your help would allow Amy to be transported safely to her appointments, to have more social interactions, and, most importantly, to attend her kids' activities and events.