WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Winchester woman is hoping to raise $10,000 for her sister after what she describes as the latest in years of setbacks.
“My 13-year-old nephew, Aiden, is in the pediatric ICU at UK. He's dealing with pneumonia and the flu right now,” said Charity Richardson.
According to Charity, a hospitalization doesn’t scratch the surface of her sister’s hardship.
Her sister, Hope, became pregnant at age 16 with her son, Aiden. As a carrier for the spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, gene, the odds were doubly stacked against her.
“It was really difficult,” recalled Charity. “Aiden was a normal baby, then when it came to walking, crawling…milestones just didn't come.”
Aiden would later be diagnosed with SMA.
Four years later, when Hope had her daughter, Ellie, like deja vu, she was diagnosed with SMA as well.
Now ages 9 and 13, the two are wheelchair bound and require around-the-clock care, keeping Hope from working.
With finances stretched so thin and Aiden in the hospital, Charity told LEX 18 that she’s tired of watching her sister face another setback, so she’s raising money to alleviate some of the burden.
Charity’s GoFundMe for her sister reads in part, “Hope is a single mother, on a fixed income. I am hoping these possible donations can help them get into a better and more comfortable living environment.”
Now, Charity hopes the community will feel called to help, and fill the gaps the family so desperately needs.
“I’ve based this whole GoFundMe on trying to improve their lives,” said Charity. “They live in a two-bedroom apartment where Aiden has his own room and Ellie and Hope currently share a room so Aiden can have privacy since he's 13.”
Charity’s goal is set for $10,000 and has already received a handful of donations.
For Charity, this could be the hope the family has been waiting for.
“To me that just shows love, it really does because no one has to get money out of their pockets and give it to someone, no one has to donate to a family in need, but they decided to.”
You can donate to the GoFundMe here.
