Author: Garrett Nantz

The name Helen means Shining Light, and that she is. With her fair skin and sweet grin, the room lights up when Helen enters in her wheelchair. Helen has Infantile-onset Pompe disease, which caused the development of cardiomyopathy, progressive muscle weakness, neuromuscular scoliosis, and impairment of respiratory function. She is dependant on others for all aspects of care as she is unable to ambulate and currently maintains very limited upper motor strength to operate her power wheelchair. She receives all of her nutrition and hydration via a GJ-tube.

With the high level of care required by Helen, her family faces many obstacles in their home. Due to her Pompe disease, she has severe osteoporosis and has suffered fractures from minimal force. One of Helen’s more recent fractures occurred when a caregiver transferred her in her inaccessible home.

Day-to-day life is complicated. On top of it all, as a 14-year-old girl, Helen is too big to be safely bathed. A bedroom and bathroom from Sunshine on a Ranney Day would bring Helen’s family safety and peace of mind and possibly create a little more time for Helen to get out and shine.

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This jubilant teenager, Callie, smiles despite her pain and laughs through her tremendous triumphs. The journey through childhood has been a challenge that she has never stopped braving. Callie was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome as a toddler and suffers significant developmental delays. At the age of twelve, she suffered a tragic accident during her evening bath at home. She was rushed by ambulance to the hospital where she spent six months with severe second and third degree burns covering more than 60% of her body. To complicate matters further, during the first 24 hours in the ICU, doctors discovered a previously unknown blood clot in her right leg which had become aggravated during treatment and her leg had to be amputated above the knee. Callie endured over 21 surgeries with extensive skin grafts for her burns and suffered cardiac arrest due to trauma and complications.

Callie, who is still in the hospital recovering, is fully dependent on her family and caregiver to meet all of her needs including transferring, showering, hygiene and bathing. She receives intensive physical, occupational and speech therapies and participates in the county’s exceptional education program via the hospital/homebound services division. The acquisition of each skill has been a true feat for Callie. Through tough determination and the support of her therapists and family, she continues to overcome obstacles and celebrate milestones. A room and bathroom that is adapted to meet Callie’s unique needs has become even more essential since her accident and subsequent surgeries. Sunshine on a Ranney Day is excited to have the opportunity to provide Callie and her family with extensive renovations to her home that will make her days a whole lot easier. Plans are in the works for an enlarged bathroom with a walk-in shower, Hoyer Lift to assist with transfers and a designer bedroom with a sensory station and storage for her medical supplies. We can wait to see her enjoy her new platform swing with radiant smiles and echoing laughter!

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Five-year-old Amir recently smiled a huge grin to his dad – something so many parents take for granted, but dad noted as a triumph.

Five-year-old Amir is the joy of his parents’ lives, and like other parents, their goal is to make sure he feels safe and loved. Loved he is. Safe, he is not always. At just two years old and after numerous tests, Amir was diagnosed with Ohtahara Syndrome, a rare type of epilepsy characterized by hard to control seizures and developmental delays.

He is non-verbal, non-mobile has respiratory problems, and vision limitations, and still requires the same care as any five-year-old. For most kids, bath time is bonding time and a relaxing way to end the day, but for Amir’s parents, it has become treacherous. It takes both parents to maneuver him safely from his chair to the tub, and bathroom use requires the removal of his permanent tracheostomy as well. Despite his limitations, Amir is able to attend school and uses switch devices to communicate. Due to his wheelchair and numerous medical devices, his current room and bathroom make day-to-day care a considerable struggle.

A safe bathroom and a bedroom designed with Amir’s sensory requirements may be just the thing needed for him to end each day with a big smile.

Sunshine on a Ranney Day is at it again and we are excited to break ground on a new project for Samantha. This spirited young woman with the beautiful ear-to-ear smile is Samantha Danielle Caldwell. She entered this world by her sister’s side on October 14, 1998, weighing in at 2lbs, 1oz and was12inches long. She and her twin sister, Nicole, arrived at 24 weeks gestation. Samantha was born first and is older by two minutes!

Samantha was tiny; but, holding her own until she had a grade IV hemorrhage at only three days old. Tragically, this lead to a snowball of illnesses in the NICU. Samantha remained in the hospital for four months before finally being able to go home with her family. She fought diligently, battling many health conditions including apnea and bradycardia bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a detached retina in her right eye, an open patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) requiring surgery to close, seizure disorder, and an intraventricular hemorrhage resulting in hydrocephalus. She required surgery for shunt placement, respirators and multiple blood transfusions all before she could go home. Since then, Samantha has continued to endure twenty five surgeries and numerous complications. She is diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and is spastic diplegic. This means the CP affects both lower limbs, hips, and pelvis more than the upper body. Samantha’s muscles are very tight in both legs and her left arm. She continues to overcome daily challenges that come with this diagnosis, as well as many life-threatening complications requiring surgery, hospitalizations and painful medical procedures. Despite all that, she prevails with bold smiles and a will to succeed.

Samantha is a happy, beautiful, smart, and independent young lady. She inspires everyone she encounters and is a social butterfly! She attends school at The Joseph Sam’s School for special needs children and is excelling. She has a passion for learning and loves being around her teachers and friends. At home, she lives with her mom, her twin sister and her dog, Bear. Samantha loves music and reading books. She is very adventurous and enjoys riding her bike, bowling, swimming, shopping, going to movies and going out to eat, pizza mostly.

Samantha is nonverbal, communicating through a few spoken words, gestures and the use of an alterative communication device. Samantha uses a wheelchair for most of her mobility. She has a manual one-arm drive wheelchair she can handle independently for short distances (I assist in longer distances). She loves to go to the dollar store, the grocery store and Target and independently maneuver the isles. She also moves independently at school from the classroom to the elevators, different classes, and the lunchroom. She is in the process of obtaining an electric wheelchair that will better suit her long-term needs of transferring, weight distribution and pressure relief.

The renovations that Sunshine on a Ranney Day will provide include a fully accessible bathroom and bedroom which will make it easier to care for her as she grows and desires more independence. Her new room will be a safe haven where she can relax and enjoy her surroundings. We would love to have your support in bringing this project to fruition and cannot wait to see how beautiful it turns out! We hope that you join us as we reveal her new room!

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When you meet Nygil, you will believe in miracles! This 17 year old with amazing fashion sense and remarkable resilience is going to get a dream makeover where Sunshine on a Ranney Day will expand his bedroom and bathroom to become wheelchair accessible and give him room for hope. Nygil is a devout sports fan and loves the Atlanta Falcons!

Nygil’s birth was truly miraculous. In the womb, Nygil was a triplet. At nineteen weeks gestation, his mother suffered a significant hemorrhage which lead to the loss of his two siblings. Nygil was an unwavering warrior and survived this trauma and was able to remain in the womb until he was delivered at 25 weeks gestation. He weighed only one pound, twelve ounces and doctors told his parents that he would not survive through the night. The family poured lots of love into treasuring him and holding him tight as they were instructed to say their final goodbyes. Nygil had no intention of going anywhere and his determination was a true blessing. He battled the odds in the NICU for four months before he was able to go home. This bundle of strength was sent home with an oxygen tank and monitors to ensure his heart kept beating and he kept breathing. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, lung disease, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, quadriplegia, strabismus, asthma and retina detachment. The doctors told his parents that they should give him lots of love and not expect much. Those harsh words cut deep with pain and astonishment. They showered him with undying love and watched him flourish despite what the doctors predicted. Nygil continues to prove that his will to live and shine his light on this world is far stronger than the challenges of any disability. He is developmentally delayed, has endured three shunt revisions, had recurrent pneumonia and been resuscitated. Through it all, he continues to fight like a triumphant warrior. Every single day is a victory.

Although his parents were told he wouldn’t survive through the night, Nygil has lived seventeen joyous years and is nearing adulthood. As he grows, so does his need for in home care and independence. Granting Nygil a bedroom and bathroom makeover will allow him to maneuver throughout his room in his wheelchair and walker efficiently, leading to greater independence and an opportunity to continue to thrive at home.
We are overjoyed to be able to provide this makeover for Nygil. His new room is sure to be as fashionable as he is and will incorporate all the things that he loves. We hope to see him beaming with joy as we spread a little sunshine his way. Please join us at the big reveal!

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