Power-Chair For Jon Jon to play wheelchair soccer

The North Georgia Screamin Eagles Soccer Team, along with nonprofit Access to a Better Tomorrow (President: Luke Pressley) are asking for help to raise money to get Jon Jon a Strikeforce power-chair. Here’s Jon’s story in his own words: 

Hi my name is Jonathan Trawick, everyone calls me Jon Jon. I am 14 years old & a 9th grade honor student at North Hall High School. . I love all sports, but The Braves Baseball and The Atlanta United soccer teams are my favorites!

I was born in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. At birth I was 15 weeks early and only weighed 400 grams. I had a severe brain bleed and some other health problems. The doctors told my birth mom that I would die, so she signed her rights away and left me at the hospital when I was 2 days old. Obviously I didn’t die! I spent the first 6 months of my life in the hospital, then I was sent to live in an orphanage. 

When I was 22 months old an American couple came to the orphanage to adopt a child. One of my caregivers carried me into the orphanage directors room to meet them. My mom says that I reached out my arms & said “MAMA!” She said that was all it took for her to know I was her son!

I was really small, I only weighed 12 pounds when they met me. I couldn’t sit up, crawl, or walk. I had never received proper medical care, so they didn’t know why my legs were stiff and twisted.

My new mom and dad visited me every day in the orphanage for 6 weeks until a judge in Kazakhstan granted my adoption. 2 weeks later my parents were able to bring me home to America, & I became a US citizen as soon as we landed in Atlanta.

I had a lot of doctors visits when I came home. The neurologist we went to ordered an MRI of my brain. He told my parents that I have Cerebral Palsy & a few other issues. He said I may not be intelligent because of the damage, & may never walk. Since then, I’ve had many surgeries & years of physical therapy. I have rods and screws in my spine & legs. I still use a wheelchair sometimes because of pain and severe spasms, but I can walk.

Through all of my surgeries & therapy, my goal was to one day play sports like other kids. I am on the swim team at my school. I am not as fast as my teammates, but I keep trying to improve. I haven’t been able to do other sports at my school due to my health issues.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom took me to Chick-fil-a before swim practice. We very rarely eat out, but that night my mom was tired & didn’t want to cook. We pulled up to the restaurant & the drive-thru was backed up, so we decided to go inside (which is also something we NEVER do). I know that God must have orchestrated that entire night, because it was for us to meet Mr. Chad Brewer! While we were waiting for our food, my mom started talking to Mr. Chad. He mentioned the wheelchair soccer team & that I should come to the next practice. He got our phone number & sent us all the info.

The following week I went to the wheelchair soccer practice. I do not have my own wheelchair for the soccer team, but some of the other teammates have been kind enough to let me tryout theirs. I told Mr. Chad that for the first time in my life, I found a sport that leveled the playing field for me. I have never been more excited to play a sport!
Then, my mom & I looked at the cost of the wheelchair, it felt overwhelming to think of trying to raise the money for it! We are already saving the money for me to get a regular wheelchair. My current chair is a pediatric chair that I outgrew years ago! I do not receive disability, or social security, we just have private insurance. My parents pay out of pocket for all of my therapy & medical equipment (like wheelchairs & leg braces). I was discouraged just thinking of it. Then, I remembered one of my life verses: Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I would be beyond grateful for anyone to help me achieve this goal of having a wheelchair for the soccer team!
Thank you,
Jon Jon Trawick


You can go to powersoccershop.com to see the chair he needs. 

UPDATE: We raised enough money to get a power chair for Jon AND a teammate, Jayden will also receive a powerchair! The money we raised here on GoFundMe will be transferred straight to the Nonprofit Access to a Better Tomorrow (President Luke Pressley) to pay for the powerchairs. 
We cannot thank you all enough!