Tag: 2020

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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There is an adage about music being a universal language: “With music, you can communicate across boundaries in ways that you can’t with ordinary languages.” Shane, at eight years old, is non-verbal with numerous disabilities, but it is very evident that he hears or feels the music. Weighing 1pound,13 ounces at his very premature birth, Shane had bleeding on the brain, requiring a permanent shunt that has since been replaced twice. He does not sit or stand without support, with a Cerebal Palsy diagnosis, and is very developmentally delayed. Shane also lives with Visual Impairment-Optic Nerve Atrophy and Generalized Hypotonia, commonly recognized as decreased muscle tone.

Shane’s parents were able to move their family, which also includes his little sister, to a ranch style home to better accommodate his wheelchair. Home is a bustling place where Shane’s sister is a very active child. She is quite protective of Shane, and dad likes to say she talks enough for the two of them. The family also includes Shane’s grandparents, who immigrated from India to help with his care. The financial burden of Shane’s care has kept the family from being able to add an accessible bathroom, so they must lift Shane’s 60 pounds (and growing) frame and carry him from outside the bathroom to the tub. Giving a bath has become an overwhelming physical and emotional task after days filled with physical therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, vision, aquatic, and speech therapy.

Shane may not be able to carry on an interactive conversation but imagine a less stressful end to a busy day; a safe bath and then his enjoying some music with his family in the safe harbor of a colorful and accommodating bedroom.

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Most soccer moms agree that driving teenage boys home from practice and games can make for a pungent experience and that a shower is first on the agenda at home. If only it were that easy for Alejandro, who plays for the Atlanta Sting power soccer team. Having been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when he was six years old, he has been able to overcome many challenges. Alejandro has participated in numerous sports, including soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, and even competed in a special needs triathlon. Unfortunately, whereas most boys go home and jump in the shower after sporting events, Alejandro’s bathroom is not adapted; his wheelchair doesn’t fit. Transferring from the chair to the shower and back is difficult, frightening, and risky as his bones are brittle. Recently a fracture in his legs caused a fat embolism that led to respiratory failure and resulted in a one week stay in the intensive care unit. This experience has caused Alejandro to fear the transfer and exemplifies the need for an accessible bathroom.

There is no more deserving teen than Alejandro. He approaches all challenges with great effort and courage. Alejandro has been very cooperative with all of his treatments since day one as well as participating in various research and clinical trials to help the scientific community find treatments and better care for boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. At home, Alejandro likes to play video games with his brother and friends and loves movie nights with his family. Like most teens, he enjoys relaxing in his room, listening to music. He plans on going to college and getting a degree in Endangered Species Biology.

A “Dream Bedroom” and an accessible bathroom will provide Alejandro with the independence teens crave and keep him motivated as he works toward his dream of becoming a scientist.

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Light shows can be quite mesmerizing, and at the end of the day, ten-year-old Caitlin loves to go to her room where various lights provide her own nightly “light show.” Caitlin is severely developmentally delayed, non-verbal, unable to walk, requires around the clock care, and is at risk due to her yet to be determined mitochondrial disease/disorder. From her first seizure at four months old to now, Caitlin’s ten short years have been a whirlwind of medical procedures and surgeries. As Caitlin grows older, the impact of her conditions will cause further delays and her system will begin to deteriorate.

Although she is non-verbal, Caitlin has no trouble letting people know how she feels or what she wants by giving a cute, little yell! She loves to be on the move, both in her wheelchair and the car. Caitlin’s family feels fortunate to have been able to move into a one-story home where everything is on one level, and she is blessed with wonderful grandparents, friends, and neighbors who love and adore her.

Caitlin stays home with her mother and participates in the hospital homebound school program as well as therapy programs. Caitlin requires round the clock care. As she continues to defy the odds, her growing size has made bathing difficult for her parents, and an accessible bathroom will make bath time safer and even fun. An adapted bathroom and “Dream Bedroom” will help Caitlin end her day with her mesmerizing light show and she will continue to shine as the light of her parents’ lives.

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This handsome fella with dazzling eyes and an incredibly bright smile is Pablo. He is the lucky recipient of the next dream make over from Sunshine on a Ranney Day!

Twelve years ago, the family was excited to welcome Pablo into the world after a joyous pregnancy. When he finally arrived, he endured a traumatic birth with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. During this time, adequate oxygen was not being delivered to his brain and tremendously affected his ability to thrive. At birth, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, diplegia, spasticity and asthma. Although devastated by this trauma, his family was determined to ensure that he had a brilliant future in which he’d achieve all of his goals. That is exactly what he is doing.

This self-determined preteen is diligently working toward great achievements and does so with a happy spirit. He enjoys hippotherapy at MacKenna Farms where he has grown to love riding horses. He wears AFOs on his legs to help with tone and gait, as well as uses a wheelchair to get around on his own. He requires assistance with his activities of daily living including toileting and taking a shower. His home currently only has one bathroom and it is not wheelchair accessible. This makes his daily routine challenging and has become a barrier to developing further independence. Sunshine On A Ranney Day will be remodeling his bathroom to be fully accessible and will provide him an unforgettable designer bedroom. We can’t wait to see him beaming with glee when he sees it!

Pablo is fond of many things including dogs, classic cars, the color blue and Bruno Mars. Like most teens, he loves to chat about the things he loves most and those who know him best say he is quite the chatterbox. Despite the obstacles he faces, he continues to reach for the stars.

We hope that his newly decorated room inspires him to soar even further. We’d love to have your support in completing this project and hope that you will join us for the big reveal.

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