Help Liam & Grey get an Elevator
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This GoFundMe has been started to help the very deserving Wickware family. For those of you that know Carley & Scott, you know they handle all of life’s challenges with grace, endless love and lots of laughter. Currently the Wickwares are unable to leave home as a family with the twins in their wheelchairs as they don’t have a vehicle equipped for the special needs of their two youngest children. Carley & Scott’s 3 year old twins, Liam and Grey, have faced many health challenges. Both boys now require the use of specialized wheelchairs to accommodate their daily activities. Soon the twins will outgrow the support of their current car seats and they will rely solely on their wheelchairs to travel in a vehicle. After all the struggles the Wickware family has faced we are asking the community to come together to help offer a little support to take some weight off their shoulders. They are in need of a specialized van that comes with a price tag of $70,000, plus an additional $30,000-$40,000 in alterations. The van could take over a year to receive after manufacturing and modifications are complete and there is currently no financial aid offered from the Government to help with these costs. Without this van, the family will be unable to leave the house together.
Please take a few minutes to read more about the Wickwares and their story.
This story all begins with Scott’s incredibly strong Mom who has Huntington’s Disease (HD). HD is a rare inherited genetic disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. Children of those with HD have a 50% chance of also carrying the gene, and further passing it on to their children. When Scott tested positive for the gene they knew they did not want to pass HD along to their own children, so Carley & Scott embarked on the difficult journey of IVF and PGD. PGD is a Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis test which allows couples with hereditary genetic conditions to significantly reduce the risk of passing it on to their children. On top of the cost of IVF, the PGD was an additional $50,000 USD.
Carley & Scott went on to have two happy healthy boys, and while trying for their third baby they were faced with many unexpected events. Their implanted embryo split after implantation, which has less than a 3% chance of occurring at this stage of the embryo’s development. At their 10 week ultrasound they were very excited to discover that they would be expecting twins! It wasn’t until an 18 week ultrasound that their Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist diagnosed their twins with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). TTTS is a rare and serious medical complication that when left untreated has an 85% chance of fatality for both babies. TTTS occurs in roughly 1 in 1000 identical twin pregnancies. Carley’s only option was to travel to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto to see a specialist that would be able to perform an extremely delicate surgery to try and repair the TTTS. During the surgery, one of Carley’s membranes ruptured and from that point on it was a battle to keep her from going into premature labour. Carley needed to be monitored closely for the remainder of her pregnancy and was allowed only very limited activity. Unable to return to work, Carley couldn’t complete the hours needed to qualify for maternity leave, which caused significant financial strain on the family.
At 23 weeks, Carley was admitted to Surrey Memorial Hospital. On March 28th, 2018 Carley & Scott welcomed their twin boys, Liam and Grey. At only 25 weeks and 3 days, each baby weighed under 2lbs. Both boys required immediate intervention from Neonatal Specialists and faced an extensive stay in the NICU. During their 139 day stay at Surrey Memorial, everyday was a rollercoaster of emotions as the twins fought to survive. Grey contracted an E.coli infection during that time which caused sepsis and nearly cost him his life. This was just one of the many complications the boys endured during their NICU admission. After being discharged from the hospital Carley & Scott had to quickly learn and adjust to their new normal. Oxygen equipment, stat monitors, endless specialist appointments, on top of the already difficult task of adding two new members to their family. They maneuvered through the next 1.5 years knowing there was a good chance that both boys would be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) because of their early delivery and lack of oxygen to their brains due to various issues faced by premature infants.
At the age of two, Liam and Grey were diagnosed with CP. CP is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance, problems with vision, hearing, and the ability to communicate. Due to their inability to walk the twins rely on their wheelchairs for seating to be able to interact with the family and to manage their day-to-day activities. Grey is unable to feed himself and has no control of his neck or hands so he will be wheelchair bound for life. Liam has control of his neck but has difficulty controlling his hands, and without intensive therapy he will also be wheelchair bound. Currently Carley & Scott feel overwhelmed at the idea of leaving the house together as a family of six. What should be a simple task is overshadowed by the inaccessibility of their current van to accommodate all four children and two wheelchairs. Due to the amount of room required to accommodate two wheelchairs, the family’s current van is not able to be modified. The new van the family is hoping to buy will be specialized for wheelchair accommodation and safety. This will include a lift, proper securement devices for the wheelchairs and most importantly, room for the whole family. This new van will allow the Wickwares to no longer have to face the struggle of trying to arrange various modes of transportation for the twins to be able to join them for their family outings. It would also provide the family with the security of knowing that the boys will be able to safely attend their specialist appointments, school and other important events. Carley & Scott have a lot of expenses ahead that most of us can’t even begin to fathom, a vehicle to keep them together as a family unit is the most important thing. As mentioned above, the cost of such a specialized vehicle can be well over $110,000. Along with all the additional medical costs that burden Carley and Scott, this is yet another hurdle for them to overcome while trying to provide for their family and give their boys the best possible care.
Every donation, no matter the size, or a share of this GoFundMe will be changing this family’s life. Let's help change this from a dream to a reality for them!
Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.
Please take a few minutes to read more about the Wickwares and their story.
This story all begins with Scott’s incredibly strong Mom who has Huntington’s Disease (HD). HD is a rare inherited genetic disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. Children of those with HD have a 50% chance of also carrying the gene, and further passing it on to their children. When Scott tested positive for the gene they knew they did not want to pass HD along to their own children, so Carley & Scott embarked on the difficult journey of IVF and PGD. PGD is a Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis test which allows couples with hereditary genetic conditions to significantly reduce the risk of passing it on to their children. On top of the cost of IVF, the PGD was an additional $50,000 USD.
Carley & Scott went on to have two happy healthy boys, and while trying for their third baby they were faced with many unexpected events. Their implanted embryo split after implantation, which has less than a 3% chance of occurring at this stage of the embryo’s development. At their 10 week ultrasound they were very excited to discover that they would be expecting twins! It wasn’t until an 18 week ultrasound that their Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist diagnosed their twins with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). TTTS is a rare and serious medical complication that when left untreated has an 85% chance of fatality for both babies. TTTS occurs in roughly 1 in 1000 identical twin pregnancies. Carley’s only option was to travel to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto to see a specialist that would be able to perform an extremely delicate surgery to try and repair the TTTS. During the surgery, one of Carley’s membranes ruptured and from that point on it was a battle to keep her from going into premature labour. Carley needed to be monitored closely for the remainder of her pregnancy and was allowed only very limited activity. Unable to return to work, Carley couldn’t complete the hours needed to qualify for maternity leave, which caused significant financial strain on the family.
At 23 weeks, Carley was admitted to Surrey Memorial Hospital. On March 28th, 2018 Carley & Scott welcomed their twin boys, Liam and Grey. At only 25 weeks and 3 days, each baby weighed under 2lbs. Both boys required immediate intervention from Neonatal Specialists and faced an extensive stay in the NICU. During their 139 day stay at Surrey Memorial, everyday was a rollercoaster of emotions as the twins fought to survive. Grey contracted an E.coli infection during that time which caused sepsis and nearly cost him his life. This was just one of the many complications the boys endured during their NICU admission. After being discharged from the hospital Carley & Scott had to quickly learn and adjust to their new normal. Oxygen equipment, stat monitors, endless specialist appointments, on top of the already difficult task of adding two new members to their family. They maneuvered through the next 1.5 years knowing there was a good chance that both boys would be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) because of their early delivery and lack of oxygen to their brains due to various issues faced by premature infants.
At the age of two, Liam and Grey were diagnosed with CP. CP is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance, problems with vision, hearing, and the ability to communicate. Due to their inability to walk the twins rely on their wheelchairs for seating to be able to interact with the family and to manage their day-to-day activities. Grey is unable to feed himself and has no control of his neck or hands so he will be wheelchair bound for life. Liam has control of his neck but has difficulty controlling his hands, and without intensive therapy he will also be wheelchair bound. Currently Carley & Scott feel overwhelmed at the idea of leaving the house together as a family of six. What should be a simple task is overshadowed by the inaccessibility of their current van to accommodate all four children and two wheelchairs. Due to the amount of room required to accommodate two wheelchairs, the family’s current van is not able to be modified. The new van the family is hoping to buy will be specialized for wheelchair accommodation and safety. This will include a lift, proper securement devices for the wheelchairs and most importantly, room for the whole family. This new van will allow the Wickwares to no longer have to face the struggle of trying to arrange various modes of transportation for the twins to be able to join them for their family outings. It would also provide the family with the security of knowing that the boys will be able to safely attend their specialist appointments, school and other important events. Carley & Scott have a lot of expenses ahead that most of us can’t even begin to fathom, a vehicle to keep them together as a family unit is the most important thing. As mentioned above, the cost of such a specialized vehicle can be well over $110,000. Along with all the additional medical costs that burden Carley and Scott, this is yet another hurdle for them to overcome while trying to provide for their family and give their boys the best possible care.
Every donation, no matter the size, or a share of this GoFundMe will be changing this family’s life. Let's help change this from a dream to a reality for them!
Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.
Fundraising team (2)
Hayley Wilson
Organizer
Abbotsford, BC
Carley Wickware
Beneficiary
Tasha Elizabeth
Team member