Help buy a wheelchair accessible van for Owen & his family!

Hi all... my name is Gregory Dion and I am hoping to help raise $82,500 for my dear friends Matthew Woolley, Lindsay Bratkowski, and their amazing family. Their eldest son Owen was born with MECP2 Duplication Syndrome , a rare/progressive neurodevelopmental disorder that affects all aspects of his/their life. A wheelchair accessible vehicle would be a game-changer for the quality of their lives as Owen grows older.

In their interest of providing a bit of background into my friendship with Matt & Lindsay, it all began in 1993 when my family moved in next-door to Matt's when we were both just 8 years old. To say that we became fast friends is an understatement. For the next decade of our lives (and beyond) we were more or less inseparable. We navigated high school together. We worked our first jobs together (Cockney Kings Fish & Chips in Burnaby). We travelled the world together.

While our lives have changed immensely since those days, and though we definitely have a few more grey hairs on our heads now, we still remain the best of friends.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, though, I think it's best for you to hear Owen's story directly from Matt and Lindsay...

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Hello, we are Lindsay and Matt, parents of Owen, Norah and Quinn. We are fundraising in the hopes of buying an accessible vehicle that works for Owen.

Owen was born with a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder called MECP2 Duplication Syndrome (MDS). It impacts all aspects of his life - mobility, communication, complex health challenges, feeding, seizures, learning, and immune deficiencies, to name a few...

Most individuals affected by MDS have challenges with recurrent lung infections and this is often the leading cause of death for many individuals (many of whom are just children). Life expectancy is unknown, but research suggests that 50% of individuals will die before the age of 25.

Unfortunately, we have experienced these hospitalizations first hand. Owen began his life in the NICU, and nearly died in the ICU when he was 13 months old. We had another ICU admission just this past March where Owen had pneumonia. He was extremely ill, and it was very traumatic for our family, particularly for his siblings, to go through.

Owen has seen more doctors, spent more time in hospital, had more tests, more needles, more illnesses, and more hours of therapy than most. He has to work twice as hard to do the things that most people take for granted. Despite all this, he is extremely determined, and does all of this with more grace than most adults could muster.

Owen is absolutely amazing. We are so proud and thankful that we are his parents. He has brightened our lives so much these past 8 years. If we could take away any of his medical issues, we would in a heart beat. However, there is no treatment for MDS, so our focus for Owen needs to be on QUALITY of life. His life is just as valuable as any other, and he deserves to access all of life’s beautiful experiences.

An accessible van would open up the world for Owen. Owen is 8 years old, and weighs nearly 75lbs, so you can imagine that lifting him in and out of a car seat that he is quickly outgrowing, is no small task! Having an accessible van would allow us to move more freely, and create wonderful memories together as a family.

Due to Owen’s many complex health challenges, Lindsay has had to become Owen’s full-time caregiver, thus becoming a single income family. Unfortunately there are no funding options for an accessible van. We were able to secure a small grant towards the van ($7,500), but it does not even come close to covering the cost. The total cost of a van and conversion comes to approximately $90,000.

A dear family member once wrote to us:

“It’s amazing how these beautiful souls come into the world and not only bring their love with them, but show us how to love more deeply and fully too.”

Owen is such a beautiful soul. He deserves all the kindness the world has to offer. Thank you for helping making Owen’s world just a little bigger, and just a little brighter.

We are so thankful for any donation you can afford to give. Thank you so much for reading our story.

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Back to Greg...

Over the past 8 years I have watched in awe as Matt and Lindsay navigate the many challenges that Owen's diagnosis presents. From frequent hospital visits, to stressful ICU stays, to the extreme isolation required during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep their family safe... they have endured more hardship than any young family should, and they have done so with admirable strength and immeasurable character. They've also never asked for help... Not once...

I know that $82,500 is a lofty goal, but I can't think of a family more deserving of the help, or more deserving of the positive impact such a van will have on their lives. If we can reach 1,650 individuals who can afford to donate $50 each, we've done it!

So please... donate what you can and share this page far and wide!

Forever in gratitude...

-Greg Dion