The Fundraising Page of Kate Tucker

Hi there! My name is Kate and I am beginning my 3rd and final year at the Little Lighthouse. My family loves this school because they say I’m loved by all of my teachers and therapists and treated with great dignity no matter what my abilities are! My school gives me access to daily therapies that will benefit me now and in my future as I find my place in this big world. My teachers teach me all kinds of skills and about how much Jesus loves and cares for me. When I was just a baby, I was diagnosed with Williams syndrome. WS is a genetic disorder that makes it hard for me to develop at the same pace as other kids. It also affects my cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems. I wasn’t expected to live more than a couple of years, but my doctors and parents found a surgeon all the way in California who repaired my heart! Unfortunately during that surgery, I suffered a stroke in my spinal cord that left me paralyzed below my belly button. I have new challenges and spend a lot of my days in a wheelchair, but my new challenges don’t affect my joy! I love to tell everyone hi and give hugs, high fives, and fist bumps to as many people as I can. I love school so much that I cheer every day as I enter the building. My parents also think I’m one of the toughest kids around. I work very hard to accomplish my goals in therapy and at home. I began my first year at the Little Lighthouse with a very limited vocabulary, I had a hard time coping and communicating my feelings, and I was pretty limited in what I could do physically. Now, my mom can’t even count all of the words I can say! My therapists and teachers used a program called LAMP (Language Acquisition and Motor Planning) to help get me started and boy do I thrive with it! I now call everyone by name and love to talk to everyone I see. I’m can also crawl up and down steps and get out of my wheelchair all by myself! One of my mom’s favorite milestones I hit at the Little Lighthouse is the ability to blow with my mouth (something we worked on for over 2 years in therapy!) I was able to blow out candles on my 4th and 5th birthdays at school. One special part about LLH is that it is a completely tuition free Christian school that services children with special needs, birth to 6 years old. That’s right, tuition FREE! LLH would cost an average of $32,000 a year if my parents were paying my tuition. Because of wonderful donations from people like you, local foundations, and charities, my friends and I can go to school and our parents don’t have the burden of this hefty tuition. LLH does not receive any money from United Way or the government. There are over 40 teachers, therapists and staff here that help me daily. I receive speech, occupational and physical therapy everyday---- how amazing is that?! I was on the waiting list for over 2 years, and my parents say it was worth it. Now this is where my friends and I could use your help! Many costs go into running this state-of-the-art school. One of the fundraisers my school does each year is Mini-Laps. This is so much fun because I get to be a part of it! On October 12th, each LLH student will get to dress up (our theme this year is Made in Oklahoma) and take a lap around the track in the back of the school. Some of my friends go around the track in their cool chairs, some kids walk or even run! I would LOVE for you to come and watch! Every dollar we raise makes a difference. If you can’t donate at this time, that’s ok! But would you spread the word to your friends about how awesome my school is because you never know who may want to help! My family is so thankful for me to have this opportunity. We want our whole community to know about the Little Light House! Here are ways to give today: - You can make a donation via credit card here on my Fundraising Page - You can give cash to my mom or dad! - You can make a check out to The Little Light House and give to my parents or mail directly to the Little Light House at 5120 E 36th Street Tulsa, OK 74135. Make sure to put in the memo its for Kate Tucker! - You can be set up on a simple giving plan where a small amount can be deducted from your bank account or charged to your credit card on a monthly basis. Super easy! Contact my mom or dad for help! - You can become a corporate sponsor. For corporate sponsorship details please reach contact my mom Randi Tucker at randitucker1@yahoo.com or 580-583-6169. - You can donate through the Opportunity Scholarship fund and receive a Tax credit for your donation. Learn more at https://osfkids.org/donate/. Please make sure and designate The Little Light House/Kate Tucker Remember that my school is a 501(c)(3) organization and your gift is tax deductible! See you on the track on October 12! Love, Kathryn “Kate” Tucker