Designer Projects Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Sunshine on a Ranney Day

Logan

Written by Clareece Cunningham on June 30, 2023. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, Ranney Blair Weidmann, Real Floors Commercial, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

13 Years Old
Transverse Myelitis, paraplegia and autonomic dysreflexia

Logan is an active 13 year old that does not let his wheelchair or crutches cramp his style. He loves to be independent and show the world he can! Most of the time he is in his wheelchair, but uses crutches periodically to get up and down steps or to transfer. Logan acquired transverse myelitis in his spine at 5 months of age, which left him with incomplete paraplegia.

He is an athlete! He excels at everything he tries. He has been on a competition swim team, Challenger baseball (where his picture is hanging in the Little League Baseball Hall of Fame in Williamsport, PA), and currently plays on the Jr. Hawks prep basketball team with Blaze Sports. He loves his coaches and teammates and plans on hopefully getting a college scholarship in the future.

“Logan is an active 13 year old that does not let his wheelchair or crutches cramp his style.”

Logan’s other interests include the guitar, books, e-sports, content creating on social media platforms and chorus in school. He also thinks he’s funny – he will tell you jokes 24/7 if you let him. Some are funny, some are dumb dad jokes, but he always thinks he’s a pro. He will tell you that when he grows up, his parent’s want him to go to college and maybe become a computer programmer or something in that field, but he wants to become a “sit down comedian.” Sunshine on a Ranney Day can’t wait to give spunky Logan an accessible dream bedroom and bathroom!

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Photography by Your Agent Catelyn

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Lyra

Written by Clareece Cunningham on June 30, 2023. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Means & Carney Interiors, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Randall Brothers, Real Floors Commercial, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

7 Years Old
Autism spectrum, sensory processing and speech disorders, global developmental delay

Lyra is an incredible 7 year old kid. She has never met a stranger because everyone is a friend and she cares deeply for them. She loves all things glitter, unicorn, and pink. She is a kind, inclusive, and thoughtful kiddo that brightens the world of everyone she knows. She loves to craft and make things like cards, bracelets, pictures, and trinkets for all of her friends. Lyra lives to help especially in the kitchen and caring for the chickens. Her family adores her and she is her little brother’s hero.

“She has never met a stranger because everyone is a friend…”

Her family learned that Lyra is autistic when she was two and a half years old at the Marcus center and she has grown so much since then. She receives support from services at McKenna farms and Focus on Function. On top of that, she gets to learn at her own pace and in her preferred learning styles at home. Sunshine on a Ranney Day is excited at the opportunity to transform her basement room into a safe learning/therapy room! Her favorite place to be is outside – swings, picking flowers, riding her scooter, horseback riding at McKenna, and anything with water!

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Photography by Niki Murphy

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Peyton

Written by Clareece Cunningham on December 8, 2022. Posted in Artisan Design Studio, Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

7 Years Old
Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, Epilepsy

In 2015, Crystal gave birth to twins Peyton and Taylor at 26 weeks. Both only weighed a little over a pound a piece! Taylor had a brain bleed and Peyton suffered bilateral brain bleeds grade 3 and 4. After both came down with hydrocephalus, the girls got a VP shunt to help drain extra cerebrospinal fluid from the brain. All of this resulted in 3 months in the NICU! For the first year of their lives afterward, all seemed normal until they noticed Peyton was ignoring her right hand. They soon began early interventions and before long Peyton was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, affecting the right side of her body. She worked super hard in therapies and was able to take her first steps at 3 years old! Since then, Peyton began having seizures and now has the diagnosis of focal epilepsy as well.

“Despite everything she has gone through, she is the sweetest, happiest girl!“

Despite everything she has gone through, she is the sweetest, happiest girl! In June of 2022 she underwent a surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This surgery was intended to relieve some of her symptoms of cerebral palsy and hopefully help her stay mobile and gain more skills. Peyton spent 30 days in the rehab facility at the hospital, working through intensive physical therapy. Even though this surgery requires a lot out of Peyton for the first year post-op, she has stayed so joyful and determined! Her hard work of relearning how to walk again paid off when she took her first independent steps again a week before Halloween. She attends intensive physical therapy 5 days a week and is making great strides towards a full recovery! “She is truly my hero,” – Peyton’s mom, Crystal.

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Photography by Carrie Birchfield

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Hudson

Written by Clareece Cunningham on December 8, 2022. Posted in Meet the Kids, Reynard Custom Homes.

6 Years Old
Gaucher Disease Type 2

Hudson is the youngest of 3 children, following his sister Olivia (8) and brother Gavin (10). He was born a happy healthy baby. Around 4 months of age, Hudson’s parents started noticing some differences in him, such as weight loss, difficulty nursing, and choking. After a few significant episodes Hudson was hospitalized around 6 months of age for further investigation. After a 16 day stay in the hospital and lots of testing Hudson was sent home with no answers and told to follow up with genetics. At the young age of 9 months old, on July 2nd, 2018, Hudson’s mom Nichole received the phone call that would forever alter the life their family had once dreamed of. Hudson was diagnosed with a rare, incurable, terminal, genetic disease, Gauchers Disease 2. They were told to put Hudson on hospice, that he would have no quality of life, never walk, talk, or live past the age of 2. Nichole’s response to them….. “but God”.

“You’ve never had a hug ‘till you’ve had a Huddy hug!”

Hudson is now an amazing 5 year old who is living his BEST life! His family has and will continue to go to the ends of the earth for Hudson and his siblings. For the past 4 years they have made the drive to D.C. every 3 to 6 months for Hudson’s geneticist who is the only one in the US willing to give him a chance at life! In fact, Hudson is now being followed by geneticists all over the world as he is re-writing the books and making a way for all the children to come.

Hudson is a very social kid, who thinks his siblings have hung the moon. He loves sports (football, basketball, and baseball), movies (Toy Story is his favorite), and has a smile that lights up his family’s world! He’s also known to give the BEST hugs. You’ve never had a hug ‘till you’ve had a Huddy hug!

Unfortunately, Hudson is very susceptible to viruses that have kept him in the hospital ICU for more than half of his life. Because of this, they have had to keep Hudson confined within the walls of their home, limiting his exposure to the outside world. Sunshine on a Ranney Day is honored to bring light and joy into the walls that surround Hudson to help him continue living his BEST life!

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Photography by Vicki Alsup Photography

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Levi

Written by Clareece Cunningham on December 8, 2022. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Chattahoochee Tech Design Program, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, Real Floors Commercial, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

6 Years Old
Nemaline Myopathy

Levi is a brilliant, sweet and chatty 7 year old boy who loves Ironman, Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog. He is affected by Nemaline Myopathy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Because NM affects his muscles, he is unable to walk and instead zips around in a power chair. Levi is unable to breathe adequately on his own, so he has a trach and ventilator to help him.

“…having a space that is adapted to assist him rather than being another obstacle, will be life changing!”

He has had multiple surgeries and hospital stays in his short life in an attempt to keep him healthy and maximize his quality of life. In moments like these, he loves being around his brother Ari for playtime. He still strives for independence and having a space that is adapted to assist him rather than being another obstacle, will be life changing!

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Photography by Birchfield Photography

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Jason

Written by Clareece Cunningham on December 8, 2022. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, Randall Paulson Architects, Real Floors Commercial, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

19 Years Old
Cerebral Palsy & Dystonia

Jason recently completed his freshman year at University of West Georgia! He was born a preemie weighing 2lb 9oz, spent 86 days in the NICU and by age one he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Dystonia. Today, Jason is wheelchair bound and uses a power wheelchair like a boss! He is completely dependent on someone to assist him with everyday life. Since he is not able to use his arms, he must be fed, but can clearly tell you that the food is too hot, salty or disgusting. So from the neck up Jason is a “typical” 17-year-old!

“…from the neck up Jason is a ‘typical’ 17-year-old!”

For Jason to take a shower, his family needs to undress him in his room and carry him through most of the house to reach the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, he uses a tub chair to shower. However, when Jason goes to camp and respite, he has a lot more independence and ability to do normal things like showering and using the restroom because of the accessibility of the bathrooms there. Because of this, he loves when he goes to camp – so we can’t wait to help him have the same feeling about his own space in his house!

Aside from going to camp, Jason loves going to the movies with friends and family to watch Marvel movies – of which he is an avid fan! He also loves anything Anime and frequently reads Fan Fiction Anime. His favorite places to visit are New Orleans and DC, but he has dreams of going to New York City! At home, Jason’s younger sister, Junia, frequently keeps him entertained with all kinds of shenanigans.

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Photography by Niki Murphy Photography

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The Drake House

Written by Joe Lane on June 3, 2022. Posted in Cambria, Community Projects, Randall Paulson Architects, The Wall Nut.

Founded in 2006

The Drake House provides housing and education programs for single mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness in North Metro Atlanta. It is a community where every family has the opportunity to recover quickly and with dignity from their homeless situation.

Each year Sunshine on a Ranney Day completes a special community project that helps a large number of children & families. Sunshine on a Ranney Day is excited to announce that we will be helping The Drake House by renovating their main headquarters. This makeover includes redesigning and renovating multiple rooms that serve as classrooms for kids studying, learning life skills, arts and crafts, and safe spaces for them to lounge. The rooms also serve to help moms with relationship building, parenting, health and wellness, and money management.

“Over 40% of Atlanta’s homeless population are women and children.”

The goal of the makeover is to create flexible use spaces that allow the children to feel at home in a learning/activity environment. The spaces also help keep the community of kids engaged with each other, creating an extended ‘family’ feel. The central community space in the basement is the food serving spaces. These spaces are currently extremely cramped and do not have a natural flow, inhibiting the ability to smoothly and efficiently cater to each family that is participating in the buffet line. We will be creating this natural flow through relocation of structural walls and the addition of a large island space. There is not currently a dedicated space for older children to teens to be able to gather for free time and engage with The Drake House volunteers for tutoring. We will be converting the upstairs executive offices into that space, providing a leisure space as well as a learning/meeting space.

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MarQuis

Written by Joe Lane on May 31, 2022. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, Randall Paulson Architects, Real Floors Commercial, ServiceWise Electric, TKO Plumbing Services.

18 Years Old
Mitochondrial Encephalopathy

MarQuis and his twin brother were born without any complications. When MarQuis was around 10 months old, he was sick with a typical virus and woke up the next day a completely different child. The initial thought was that MarQuis had a seizure until he had another episode. MarQuis and his family traveled to multiple cities for an official diagnosis and finally at the age of 2 after a muscle biopsy MarQuis was diagnosed with mitochondrial disorder. In 2005 MarQuis had an episode that the doctors did not think he would survive but God had other plans. Fortunately, that was the final episode.

“MarQuis has a love for life and speaks his own language to communicate his needs.”

MarQuis is permanently disabled and needs assistance with all daily needs. MarQuis has a love for life and speaks his own language to communicate his needs. His house is currently not accessible which is very challenging for his family and caregivers. MarQuis and his family are so excited for MarQuis to have a space that is truly his own and reflective of his personality!

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Photography by Jennifer Boxley Photography

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Griffin

Written by Joe Lane on May 27, 2022. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Meet the Kids, Mohawk, Randall Brothers, Real Floors Commercial, Reynard Custom Homes.

11 Years Old
Autism

Griffin was born at full term without any health problems. Early on, he met all of his developmental milestones and even did some things early. Within the first week of birth, Griffin was holding his head up and looking around as well as rolling over.

Griffin’s family started noticing around 18-24 months that things had started to change for Griffin developmentally. Griffin’s eye contact and vocabulary had decreased and you could see a disconnect when he was around other children his age. Griffin was so young which made it challenging to diagnose. It was puzzling to see that Griffin’s vocabulary was advanced but his communication was far behind. Shortly after Griffin turned three his family started the process of testing for Autism which was the eventual diagnosis. Griffin’s young age made it difficult to really know what this meant for Griffin long-term. Griffin receives speech and occupational therapy and most importantly interaction with other children not on the spectrum which has benefited him more than any other therapies.

“Griffin has always been full of energy and was running around the house by 10 months old.”

Present-day, Griffin is thriving! He always makes people laugh and has such a fun personality. Griffin has developed a love for art and one of his favorite hobbies is drawing. Griffin’s life has inspired some amazing things to happen. Griffin’s dad, Michael, works in law enforcement and created a program where officers visit special needs children at school and become their friend first. They teach the kids that officers are there to help and how to properly act with law enforcement and to not be afraid. Griffin and his mom have a social media platform where they share about products, events, and places that are Autism friendly. Griffin’s family continues to raise awareness and shine a positive light on Autism and they are grateful for everyone who has been a part of the journey!

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Photography by Carrie Birchfield Photography

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Celia

Written by Joe Lane on May 27, 2022. Posted in Bin There Dump That Atlanta, Cambria, Construction Resources, Meet the Kids, Pulley and Associates, Randall Brothers, Ranney Blair Weidmann, Real Floors Commercial, TKO Plumbing Services.

13 Years Old
Leigh’s Disease

Celia and her twin sister were adopted from China at the age of 26 months. Celia and her twin are currently thirteen years old and the youngest of six kids. During adoption, it was thought that Celia had cerebral palsy (CP) but after extensive testing, Celia likely has a mitochondrial disorder, which is neuro-degenerative, called Leigh’s disease or a Leigh-like syndrome.

“She even has a superpower; Celia can use her toes to type and play games on her iPad!”

Celia cannot walk unassisted, use her hands purposefully, or eat by mouth. Celia has endured many surgeries and hospitalizations and unfortunately had a setback in 2020 during a procedure that was supposed to help improve her dystonia (painful involuntary muscle contractures). Celia lost the ability to speak, process information, sleep, and most devastatingly her sweet spunky personality. In 2021 the procedure was reversed and hopefully with the love and support of Celia’s family, their faith in God, and extensive therapies she can regain what was lost.

Celia’s family wishes everyone had a Celia in their lives. She’s joyful, happy, has an amazing smile, and loves her family. She even has a superpower; Celia can use her toes to type and play games on her iPad! Celia has good days and bad days, she struggles with strength, stamina, communication, and mental cognition but through it all, she is the brightest of lights and a gift to all that know her. Celia truly is God’s precious blessing!