My Nonprofit Reviews

I am the mother of a girl with Spina Bifida, as well as two other girls and two boys. Children are a great blessing and it is a splendid thing to watch them grow and learn and dream. We live in a rural community south of the Dallas area. Unfortunately, we found that there were not many opportunities for our daughter, Sarah, to play competitively with other children her age anywhere near our hometown. I did not realize at the time how important such a thing is. Sarah began to spend lot of time alone. She became very withdrawn, began to gain weight, her grades dropped, her self-esteem was not anywhere near what it was as a young child, and she was generally unhappy. This was very distressing and I began to research groups that would allow my handicapped daughter to experience the joy of competition with other children. Moreover, I wanted her to be challenged, and get her heart rate up, and push herself, and see that she was quite capable of playing like any other child; losing and winning, growing, and dreaming.
We became a part of the Dallas Jr. Wheelchair Mavs when Sarah was in 5th grade. It is one of the greatest things that we have ever been involved with. In fact, we drive nearly 2 and a half hours one-way each week to practice. Sarah wakes up at 4:30 am each Saturday so that she can go, and she is happy to do so because it is a highlight of her week. She has become a smiling, healthy child through her participation on this team of peers through challenges and encouragement and learning. She now dreams of college and has a better perspective on life in general. She is no longer this child who sits on the sidelines of life. She is a player and part of the game, and this is a wonderful blessing indeed.
This organization is run by parents just like me. We arent rich monetarily, but rich in experience and appreciation for children and every single obstacle conquered and the help we have along the way. It is not easy for us to come up with funds to pay for so much travel. Most every week, there is some child on the team who is in the hospital for surgery or illness. Though we don't often talk about it, all of us have financial struggles. A child with special needs requires many special things. So, thank you. Thank you so much for reading this review, for considering donating to a cause such as this, and for caring to learn more about such an awesome organization as the Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavs. It has changed my daughter's life. Our whole family is very, very grateful for this team.
Sincerely, Dana Neal

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