Getty Owl Foundation

#GivingTuesday

From Kate, Today is a truly big day for all non-profits. I know I can’t speak for every non-profit, but what I can honestly say for Getty Owl Foundation is that we love what we do. Throughout Getty’s life, Getty we have had the chance to meet so many wonderful SMA families across the US and abroad.  These SMA families are always trying to do the best they can to care for their children and affected adults. It has truly been an honor to get to know many and make lasting connections that continue to grow to this day. What we have also learned on this journey is that in just about every corner of the care for our children is something that costs money. Insurance can be tricky and simply unfair in what they consider medically necessary to cover. Am insurance denial can be not only heartbreaking but financially debilitating. While we all fight to the bitter end and do not allow any stone unturned when it comes to appeals, denials, etc. things still cost money. Getty Owl Foundation has focused on finding what the needs of SMA families are and how to bridge that gap. Medical supplies, life saving devices, shipping costs, life and educational tools, and sources of comfort all have costs. We established Getty Owl Foundation to fill these care needs and offer enrichment that might be left unfulfilled by insurance companies, school districts, primary care, and other avenues of family support. We are proud of our work and we believe in our mission: Helping Families. Fighting SMA Today is #GivingTuesday and we ask that you consider Getty Owl Foundation when deciding to donate. GOF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Please click HERE to donate. Thank you!

Hazardous Skies

From Kate: 

On November 8th the Camp Fire started in Butte County and as of today, still only 40% contained and has destroyed over 140,000 acres of land. West Sacramento, where we live, is about 80+ miles south from the fire. Once the Camp Fire started our local skies definitely started to show the affects of the fast moving and incredibly destructive fire. 

This is the time of year we call “Lockdown”. We typically retreat indoors around the end of October. This fire has truly taken our efforts to keep Getty’s lungs protected to an absolutely new level. 

We don’t expose Getty to the outdoors ever while the smoke is so thick and suffocating. But I guess what has taken on a new worry is that even with the limited amount of time a door is actually open, smoke still permeates inside. 

So to combat the smoke we have two floor air filters going 24/7 as well as our HVAC unit air filter. We switch out Getty’s various machine filters daily. To give you some perspective, I would usually switched all of the filters out during a regular Lockdown season once a week, and now it is daily and I am starting to consider going to twice daily. This smoke is no joke. 

She is doing well. She doesn’t seem to be affected and we are just trying to do everything we can to make sure it stays that way. 

The image below is from Airnow.org. So as of today we are sitting in a Hazardous area which for me, as a Sacramento native, is mind boggling. I am not trying to suggest the air typically is clean, but to be at a level of hazardous has got to be so alarming for so many in the community. Sacramento is kind of a bowl shaped city and so it seemed as though once the smoke came down into the valley, it just sat here to fester. For the sake of so many people with compromised lung capacity, I hope the weather can change a bit to offer some relief. 

Area school districts and universities have canceled school for a past few days and as of a few minutes ago have been notified that Getty’s school and district has also been canceled for tomorrow. 

We offer our sincerest love and support to those directly affected by the Camp Fire. It is so heartbreaking to understand how many people, animals, land, buildings have been affected. It’s just so heart wrenching. 

Fingers crossed for better conditions. 

Giving Thanks Giveaway Recipients!

From Kate: 

We would like to thank all of the entries for the Giving Thanks Giveaway! For those that were not randomly selected, please know that we will be holding our Annual Winter Giveaway again this year. So stay tuned for more details. 

Announcing our Giving Thanks Giveaway Recipients. Congrats all four of you! Enjoy the great stuff and send us some pictures of how you are using all of the fun swag soon. 🙂 

CELEBRATIONS TO:

Congratulations you guys! Your special packages will be mailed out Monday.

Thank you for entering and enjoy!