More Than Fundraising: Connecting Communities with Help Hope Live
By Emily Progin, Help Hope Live
WOn May 7, Help Hope Live will once again showcase hope in motion at Abilities Expo New York Metro as we present a customized Freedom Concepts adaptive bike to three-year-old Easton Clark and his family.
Easton's journey with Help Hope Live proves that trusted medical fundraising can go so much further than financial support, giving communities a way to rally around a family during their time of need.
Here's the inside scoop on Easton's surprise—and his family's roadmap to unlocking community support with Help Hope Live.
Easton's Story of Overcoming
Easton was just one year old when the unthinkable happened: a spinal cord injury left him with paralysis from the shoulders down.
His family tirelessly pursued rehabilitation and medical care to give their beloved son the best possible chance of mobility and independence. Within the first year after his injury, they witnessed eye-opening progress.
"It's been nothing short of a miracle—coupled with a lot of hard work and dedication," explained mom Ashlie Clark. After just a few months of inpatient care in Philadelphia, Easton began to regain arm and hand mobility, and he was no longer dependent on a ventilator or a feeding tube.
Once he returned home, Easton pursued exercise-based therapy five days per week. Over time, this therapy transformed his trunk control and ability to stand. At times, Easton can now take a step independently—signaling an extremely hopeful future ahead as he continues his recovery.
The Financial Burden of a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries can lead to both immediate and long-term financial, emotional and physical challenges. Easton's family witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of consistent and intensive rehabilitation. However, they soon realized that maintaining Easton's access to therapy, care and quality of life essentials would mean taking on a financial burden they could not handle alone.
That's why they turned to Help Hope Live, the trusted medical fundraising nonprofit for spinal cord injury families like Easton's.
In the first year of fundraising, Easton's community of support raised over $22,000.
More Than Fundraising: Finding Hope
The immediate impact of community support is clear as Easton's family fuels his recovery journey through occupational therapy, oxygen treatment, aquatic therapy, and other supportive pathways. But there's another side to community support that goes beyond financial help.
"It is impossible to give Easton every opportunity Easton deserves on his own," Ashlie explained. "But because of your unwavering love and generosity, our son has a fighting chance to one day walk on his own."
Fundraising gave Easton's community a tangible way to help while enabling emotional support, connection, and covering his family in help and hope.
Childhood Joy, Health and Hope in Motion
Amid all the complications of his future navigating life with paralysis, we believe Easton deserves the chance to be a kid. That's why we partner with organizations and businesses to fuel a special program within our mission that gifts customized adaptive bikes to kids like Easton.
These adaptive bikes provide a wide range of benefits to kids and adults with disabilities. They represent a source of joy and community connection, a way to access more fresh air and exercise regularly, and a key therapeutic tool for working muscle groups to improve mobility and physical health over time.
Despite these proven benefits, adaptive bikes are rarely covered by insurance. That leaves families on the hook for thousands of dollars out-of-pocket—and for some families, that means a closed door instead of an opportunity for motion and joy.
On May 7 at 1:00 pm in booth 427, thanks to a grant from the Rosenblatt Foundation, we'll give Easton and his family an adaptive bike surprise that we hope will give them just one more reason to be excited about what each day brings as they pursue a new normal after injury.
We know Abilities Expos are the perfect home base for these adaptive bike giveaways. The reason is simple: Abilities Expos are a hub for possibility, change, technology and hope.
Our clients rally to Abilities Expos to experience the technology that could impact their day-to-day lives, independence, mobility, and wellness. They turn to us to help fund the gap between what insurance covers and these exceptional innovations.
Abilities Expos are all about connection.
The connection between our nonprofit and families like Easton's who could use our fundraising help. The connection between industry professionals and innovators just as committed to building hope as we are. And the connection inherent to that simplest of childhood pleasures: a kid and his bike.
Your Help—Their Hope
We are a trusted resource for thousands of families in all 50 states for medical fundraising. If you or someone you love could use help to bring care and equipment within reach for a brighter future, get in touch with us by submitting an initial campaign request.
Our team provides one-on-one support, fundraising help, and customized materials to every single client family for a lifetime of need.
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If giving hope to families like Easton's is a part of your vision for a brighter future, make a donation. We wouldn't exist with you. Thank you!
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