This is the story of an exemplary family serving a very admirable cause.
Brad and Lauren Hayden are that family. After having to spend a lot of time in the NICU with their first child, they noticed there were children that received no visitors for various reasons. They knew that no child should be there alone and wanted to do something about it. So they decided to start fostering children coming out of the NICU. Lauren told ACN2news, “No child should be left in a hospital bed or in a home that can’t care for them.”
They have fostered three children and are looking to adopt their second foster child, Willie. But he has many medical concerns. He had a very challenging birth during which time he was without oxygen. The doctors gave him a dire prognosis, that he would never talk and will be permanently wheelchair bound. To continue with his adoption, Brad and Lauren need to show they can provide transportation for him. Therefore, they need a van that is wheelchair accessible with a lift.
That is where they are seeking help. Brad and Lauren are trying to raise funds for a new wheelchair accessible van. They have had fundraisers at restaurants and they have also created a Facebook page where donations can be made. They also share some of their story on their page: “We have been blessed with a little boy who was very medically fragile due to complications at birth . . . We must provide him safe transportation. This happens to be a question on the adoption forms. Our current vehicle cannot be converted to a wheelchair accessible van without us losing seating for our other children.”
Willie has overcome many odds and is doing things Lauren and Brad were told he would never do, such as talking and eating, but he will never walk. Please share Willie’s story and, if possible, provide financial support to this loving family.
