This is the speech I wrote and presented today and some pictures from the event.
Hi, my name is Katie Ireland and I am proudly a Variety Mom. We crossed paths with Variety for the first time in September when we were chosen to recieve a go baby go car. And we are so glad we did! We have found that not only did Charlotte get an awesome new set of wheels but we have found a second family in Variety. Their passion for inclusion is so heart warming and encouraging. And they will go above and beyond to make our children feel special. In my opinion they are leading the way for the rest of Kansas City and surrounding areas. We can not sing their praises enough!
I want to introduce you to one Variety kid, this is my daughter Charlotte, she was born with severe low muscle tone and developmental delays. We have been on the hunt for a diagnosis for most of her life. In fact this little rockstar had her second MRI just this Tuesday. After many tests, we found outjust two days ago that Charlotte has a condition called PVL and in her case it effects the part of her brain that controls motor function. She will progress but very slowly. Even with out her current diagnosis she has seen more doctors and specialists in her two years than I have in my 30. She is incredible- but she is not alone. One out of 4 families has a member with special needs.
It is an honor to be here and get to thank The Kansas City Royal 's Chairties, The Glass family and Royals Alumni for such an incredible gift. My husband and I grew up in Kansas City and are die hard Royal's fans! Our children of course are fans too. In fact Charlotte's little brother was born on the first day on the World Series last year and this year we celebrated his 1st birthday during this years series with an all Royal's themed birthday party. We are BIG fans!!
And to think that Royal's Charities cares for ALL of our community as much as we care for them is a Blessing!
When Deb shared with me that the Royal's CHARITIES would be giving a very generous gift to help build inclusive playgrounds for our children, I knew I had to be involved! You see, I have been working with kids for over 10 years and have been to many parks in the Kansas City area, but I did not fully understand the importance of creating parks for ALL kids until we had our Charlotte. When Charlotte turned 1, My husband and I were so excited to take her to a public park for the first time. When we arrived and tried out some of the equipment, we quickly realized that nothing at the park, including their bucket swings were appropriate for our extremely floppy little girl. It was incredibly disheartening. And we didn't even try another park for at least 6 months. And sadly the second park was the same as the first. Playgrounds and being included should be a right of passage for every child-to lay, laugh, make friends, explore. So Why was ours excluded?
This broke our heart. Was my child not going to get to play at parks with her little brother and meet new friends?
So you see, this is not just about a park to us, this is about living as normal a life as possible and giving our children the same joys that other children experience. The joy of flying to the clouds in a swing or playing tag with their friends on feet or in wheels. Or maybe being able to hit a ball and run or roll the bases. So on behalf of all the Variety parents and special needs parents in Kansas City we say Thank You! Thank you for the joy you bring to our city as a whole and Thank You for the joy you are bringing to and including ALL our Children.
You are setting an example to all communities to include and Love all our children. Royals and Royals Charities thank you for believing in Variety Kc and our mission to help Every Kid, Be Active, Be Social and Belong...Thank you for making a difference in all of our lives.
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