i am helping my friend sarah raise funds & awareness for her son matthew. when we first moved to phoenix i trained to become a respite therapist & was assigned to matthew. i took care of him for 6 months. he is an incredible kid who happens to have williams syndrome.
"williams syndrome is a rare genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These occur side by side with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities and an affinity for music."
i met matthew when he was 3 & couldn't speak or communicate all that well. loud noises highly affected him & they'd just moved to a new neighborhood with lots of construction. when he'd get really worked up we had one magic trick... josh groban. we could put his cd on & matthew would immediately calm down. a few years later i was visiting with him & when i walked in the door he said "hi, miss megan." he'd remembered me & could talk & he had the SWEETEST voice i'd ever heard. one of the highlights of my life!!!! not to be dramatic but this was just such an amazing thing. just last year sarah posted a video on facebook of matthew getting up in front of his school & singing in his talent show. i cried as i watched that video. i made byran watch it with me & i cried again. bryan had gotten to know matthew pretty well. matthew adored him. so this little guy has a special place in our hearts.
which is why donating to this cause is a no brainer for us.
if you'd like to make a donation click on this link & be sure to leave a comment here with your name if you'd like a chance to win a portrait session.
the walk is may12th, so the contest will end may 11th at midnight phx time.
the portrait session is valued at $374. includes 1 hour on location. 1 - 11x14 print & 2 - 5x7's.
I cried and I don't even know Matthew! What a beautiful voice. :) Great cause, thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI totally know this kid! I do Santa photos every year for Affinity Family Care, and I do believe this guy was there this past Dec! He was hilarious! One of our favorite 'clients' of the day!
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