Getty Owl Foundation

Ear Pillow Giveaway

From Kate: 

I would like to start by saying, the SMA community is one of ultimate support. We all find ways to help each other. Mental health, care strategies, sharing personal testimonials, offering a supportive ear, making gadgets, building ramps, sharing supplies, suggesting positional aides, etc. This is an incredibly short list on how SMA families have found ways to lessen the load and care for each other. While it is true that we all know our kids better than doctors, having fellow SMA virtually to lend support is like having an extended family around the world. 

I would like to thank two individuals who came up with an amazing giveaway for our community. The idea was to make and giveaway ear pillows like the one Getty is using in this picture. Ear pillows are such a game changer for kids and adults. Speaking from our experience, Getty cannot use regular pillows because they smoosh her ear. Because she is non-ambulatory, she doesn’t have the ability to move her head and so a smooshed ear can not only be uncomfortable but it can also cause pressure sores and skin breakdown.  Ear pillows have a hole in the middle, so her ear is clear from any pressure. They are so amazing! 

These two amazing people saw a need in our community and they are filling it with this giveaway, Getty Owl Foundation is just a vehicle for distributing the pillows. 🙂 Please join me in thanking Nancy Boman and Teri Taylor. 

Thank you both for finding a way to make a difference for our loved ones. Thank you for you time and resources to make 50 ear pillows! We are so thankful for your willingness to help others. 

Again, I know this goes without saying, but this giveaway is for the betterment for all persons living with SMA. Thank you for understanding. 

For those interested, email us at hoot@gettyowl.org:

Name

Age

Address

Attach a picture of you or your family member so we can make a collage with all of the recipients. 

These is no deadline. Once we hit 50, I will update this post to announce the recipients. 

 

 

14 Reasons to Celebrate Recipients!!!!

From Kate: 

Can I just say THIS is the best part of establishing Getty Owl Foundation! The realization that we as a foundation, have the financial resources to put iPads into the hands of so many awesome kiddos! We are blessed and so thankful to be able to contribute to our SMA community. Thank you to all who have donated to GOF. Thank you for offering this gift for us so we can in turn support others. 

Here are our 14 Reasons to Celebrate! 

Congratulations and enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

Getty Owl Foundation’s 14 Reasons to Celebrate

From Kate: 

The winter season is here and it always brings wonderful reasons to celebrate and rejoice. The past few years, Getty Owl Foundation has been able to grant iPADs to SMA youths. We are proud and blessed to be in a position to help open the technological door for many kids. 

We know the power of technology for Getty and how it has offered her all kinds of ways to access education, musical instruments, problem solving apps, and even a way to stream Taylor Swift. 🙂 Apple’s iPAD is a wonderful piece of tech that we are truly trying to get into the hands of as many SMA kids as we can. This year is no different, in fact this year we have increased our giveaway amount from 10 to 14! 

Getty Owl Foundation’s 14 Reasons to Celebrate is our winter giveaway! 

Please consider entering your SMA child into the drawing for an iPad, $50 gift card, Otterbox iPAD case, and Getty Owl Foundation tote bag. 

Details: 

Enter December 11th-14th: Deadline for entires is December 14th @ 12 noon PST.

One entry per SMA child. 

Recipients will be announced December 15th @ 12 noon PST. 

Please send the following to our email: hoot@gettyowl.org 

-Your name

-Your SMA Child’s name

-Address & phone number

-Attach a picture of your child

 

Super simple!

*For those who sent entries to our Fall Giveaway, we will be honoring your entry for this giveaway. No need to send another, we got you. 🙂 

 

 

 

#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.