When Karly Soparlo was pregnant with her son John, the unimaginable happened.
“John actually had a stroke when I was pregnant with him, so in utero,” recalled Karly recently.
The stroke caused malformations in John’s brain but it took nearly 14 months before Karly and her husband Kurt would get a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
John is now seven years old and he still can’t do anything of those things. He requires constant care and help doing even the simplest of tasks – like brushing his teeth.
“It’s been an uphill battle ever since but we’ve had a good support system around us to help us do it but you know it’s ongoing and it’s going to be forever,” said Kurt.
“You know it’s a big responsibility and I mean we love him so much, he honestly means so much to us, but yeah, it’s a lot for us,” added Karly.
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She said it’s also a financial strain to provide John with the care and essentials he needs.
The Soparlo’s have accessed government funding for some of John’s bigger needs, but things like a wheelchair ramp which is a necessity for the Soparlo’s who live in a raised bungalow, aren’t covered.
Kurt had constructed a ramp on his own but with winter approaching and John having put on some weight, it was apparent, the ramp was now longer a safe option to get John in and out of the house.
“We needed something and it became clear we weren’t going to carry this 100 pound wheelchair and person everyday,” he said.
That’s when the Calgary Children’s Foundation (CCF) stepped and provided funding for a new wheel chair lift for John.
“The Calgary Children’s Foundation does help those children who are in need and who do fall through the cracks so this was a perfect example of how we can help someone immediately,” said CCF’s Michael Bitcon.
“There’s only so many resources out there for families like ours so any little bit of help that we can get is just…really takes the weight off,” said Karly.
The Soparlo’s had the lift installed just last month and said it made an immediate impact.
“I can’t imagine not having it now, right?” said Kurt. “You know, our lives are not easy but it sure makes us appreciate, things like that.”
The Calgary Children’s Foundation will be holding it’s annual fundraiser, Pledge Day, on Friday, December 9, 2019 on 770 CHQR.
Donations during the pledge can be made to the Calgary Children’s Foundation via phone, in person at Corus Centre, or on the organization’s webpage.
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