Fundraising and Ollie's Needs - So what's next?

So Bekka and I have been floored by the outpouring of support for our special little guy but anticipation and planning never stops for us.

We've been thinking about what we can do to raise additional funds for Ollie and have heard ideas for walks and golf tournaments and car washes and the like. Neither of us has ever organized anything like that but we are willing to learn and do for the little tyke. If anyone out there has thoughts, please let us know!

When Bekka gets back from the SMA conference, we are going to take a long look at what we need and when we need it. In many ways, we never anticipated Oliver would be with us this long. Now he's almost a toddler and we have to continue making plans and anticipating his needs.

We have had questions about what sort of expenses and needs Oliver is incurring or we are expecting. The following is a short list and is in no way complete.

• Better mobility for Ollie. We will be trying to figure out a wheelchair or stroller that allows him to lie almost flat while also allowing us to more easily transport equipment. It's quite a sight seeing us trek to and from a doctor visit!
  
• Appropriate toys and games for Ollie. It's hard enough entertaining a regular 10 month old, but entertaining an SMA child is even tougher. We will be looking to get creative to provide Ollie with the stimulation and entertainment he needs beyond television and videos.
  
• Medical expenses including copays, coinsurance, and out of pocket expenses for Ollie's multitude of medical equipment. It appears we have been approved for CAP-C (we are awaiting the official letter). This will help relieve the burden, but not completely.
• Insurance. We don't know the final resolution of Bekka's job situation yet, but it is likely we'll be paying out of pocket costs for her insurance and Oliver's insurance for the foreseeable future.
• In the nice to have but not yet critical category: A larger vehicle. Bekka and I both love small cars (We have an Integra and a Mazda 3) but as Ollie grows and his equipment needs grow, we'll be looking at acquiring something larger to make it easier to transport us all. We have wonderful friends that loan us vehicles on a moments notice -but you hate to abuse that!

This is why we are so thankful to everyone. Imagining all the additional stress we'd be under right now without the meals and visits and fund raising is staggering.