Angel's Story - Mission of GivingAngel is a very sweet 15 year old boy who lives with his brother, Adrian and his devoted guardian caregivers; Tomas and Armida. This family is enthusiastic, loving and full of smiles! I dare you to look at that precious grin on Angel's face and not smile! He has such a passion for life and for all things sports! Throughout this room makeover Tomas and Armida advocated for their two boys to ensure every need was being met!
Angel is a fun-loving boy who is not defined by his diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy. DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. Symptom onset is in early childhood, usually between ages 3 and 5. The disease primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it can affect girls. Recent advances in cardiac and respiratory care is increasing life expectancy for children and young adults with this condition. Despite Angel’s diagnosis, Angel works hard to keep up his strength and do whatever he can for himself. He is surrounded with positive love and support and while his disability often causes him to lose function - his social and cognitive skills are not affected by the disease. With the use of his power wheelchair, Angel can have complete access to his home and community environment. Our design team worked closely with Angel's family to ensure that his room provided a safe place where Angel could be as independent as possible. Emily Dolton left no stone unturned when researching what carpet would be best for his wheelchair. Thank you to Shaw Contract Group for working with our team to make a safe, clean base for Angel's Denver Bronco fan cave. Thank you to Sid's Carpet Barn for the excellent install! Unlike our traditional room makeover program - our Mission of Giving Program enabled third parties, in this case Dream Dinners, to augment our limited budgets to do things normally impossible. After meeting Angel's brother Adrian - the Dream Dinners crew decided they had to do what it took to get Adrian a room makeover, too! The team worked extremely hard to ensure that Angel's friend, supporter and fellow sports fan received a room fit for an enthusiastic Philadelphia Eagle's fan! Angel lives life with an open heart and a spirit we can call admire. It was a pleasure to meet this deserving family and make Angel and Adrian's Sweet Dream Room Makeover come true! Professional Photography by Shari BarnesAngel's Denver Bronco Fan CaveAdrian's Eagle Nest |
Thank you Dream Dinners for participating in our first annual Mission of Giving Program.
Dinners is a unique company founded on a mission of bringing families together around the dinner table. They provide everything you need to assemble great dinners. They offer freedom from the hassles surrounding the planning and preparation of meals night after night. They give friends and family an opportunity to come together in a fun-filled setting to assemble their Dream Dinners in a very short time just once a month. Thank you Kate and the Dream Dinners crew for greatly enhancing the Cecily's Closet budget to enable not just one but two rooms for this deserving family! The family is so excited to have a freezer full of yummy Dream Dinner meals! Thanks to Jon Ray at Paint Green for your willingness to donate your time and service to Cecily's Closet and for coordinating the free paint from DunnEdwards for Angel's room makeover. Thank you to Emily Dolton from Inside Emily's Head, for not only being the lead artist on this room - but for serving as the dedicated Cecily's Closet Project Manager! This room had many twists and turns but you always focused on the children and what was best for them! Your time and talent has transformed Angel and Adrian's space into paradise for two football loving fans! Thank you to Steve Bair of Bair Works, Nathan and Bobby for providing the muscle behind the magic! Thank you Debbie Whaling for the machine embroidered Philadelphia Eagles logos on the curtains. Thank you to the Special Education Teachers at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary, especially Rita Brandt, for their donations. And last but not least thank you to the Mitch and Sara Williams family for volunteering and setting up the computer for Angel so his technology needs are met. Thank you to fellow Mission of Giving participant, Bassett Furniture for donating the amazing lockers for Adrian's bedroom! It really made the Eagle's room come to life! Thank you to Shari Barnes for donating her time and talent to photograph these special spaces! And thank you to San Diego Family Magazine for donating so many toys for not only Angel and his brother, but for their eight year old brother and three year old sister, too! |
Cecily's Closet