McNeeley Foundation’s goal is to help children

August 23, 2011

McNeeley Foundation’s goal is to help children

The Payson Roundup | August 19, 2011 | By Max Foster

What began seven years ago as a small-town, grass roots effort to earn $8,000-plus to buy a motorized wheelchair, called a Go-Bot, for a 5-year-old Pine boy who suffered from spinal muscular atrophy, has blossomed into a charity that has earned and donated more than $40,000 to pay medical expenses for needy Rim Country children.

The Justice McNeeley Foundation, which is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, has a motto of “Help Us Help a Child” and helping is what the organization does best.

Click HERE or on the image below to read more…

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Anthem teen closing door on high school

May 12, 2011

Anthem teen closing door on high school

The Arizona Republic | May 12, 2011 | By Betty Reid

It took friends to open doors for Austin Cuaderno.

The 18-year-old Boulder Creek High School senior, who is in a wheelchair because of spinal muscular atrophy, is one of 505 students receiving a high school diplomas on May 26. When the teenager closes the door on high school, he will wheel away with a weighted grade-point average of about 3.4, earned from honors classes such as physics and math.

The shy, friendly teenager credits his achievement to friends.

Click HERE or on the image below to read more…

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The Story of a Family Saved by Obamacare

March 23, 2011

The Story of a Family Saved by Obamacare

FOX (Phoenix) | March 22, 2011

Vodpod videos no longer available.

PHOENIX – This week marks the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, known by many as Obamacare. We talked to a family in the valley who has reaped a benefit from this law, which has had a polarizing effect on the country.

Lauren Byrd and twin brother Kyle are, in many ways, just your typical preschoolers. Cute, curious and full of energy — except they have a rare, and expensive condition.

“Their brains work fine, they’re just trapped in a body that doesn’t work,” says dad Chris Byrd.

“They can’t spend their energy going through the sandbox on their own, they are stuck sort of sitting around observing the world, that’s where they get all their charm from,” says mom Cassandra Byrd.

Spinal muscular atrophy is the disability that makes life a little more difficult for Chris and Cassandra, and the financial costs of this condition can be astronomical.

Click HERE or on the image below to read more…

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