Help Lucas Live his Dream
Donation protected
A small group of family and close friends of Jackie Jackson Daley and Lee Jackson have joined together to help them raise money for a “forever home” for their son, Lucas. A place that he can thrive in for years to come.
As a child with special needs grows up, parents and families are left with critical and emotional questions around where and how their child will live as an adult and who will take care of the adult child when the parents are no longer around. Jackie and Lee have been struggling to answer these questions themselves as Lucas gets older and bigger and has new dreams and challenges.
A personal note from Lucas’s parents, Jackie and Lee:
Our names are Jackie and Lee and we wanted to share the story of a very special young man and our very big dream for him. The young man is our 16-year-old son Lucas, and our dream is to provide him a wonderful place to live in his adult years. Lucas is not your typical teenager. He has spent his 16 years fighting hard for this thing we call life. Born with a congenital heart defect, he had his first open heart procedure at 36 hours old. His heart was too weak and he ended up on life support, which led to the complication of a massive brain hemorrhage and the development of hydrocephalus.
However, Lucas has surprised all the experts who said at worst that he may not live; at best would never walk, never talk, never even eat independently. He is the veteran of 19 surgeries--heart, brain... you get the picture. He has cerebral palsy, Tourette’s syndrome, anxiety, PTSD, is on the autism spectrum, and has global cognitive delays.
Yet all of this doesn’t really tell you who Lucas is. Lucas is an engaging, talkative, laughing and joyful guy who also happens to need a lot of support. As his parents, we are on a mission to make sure he has the most fulfilling life possible. That is why we are writing this message.
We have an opportunity to provide Lucas with a beautiful forever home. A home that will fulfill all of his dreams and hopes for what HE wants out of his life (which by the way, currently includes being a staff person, a construction worker, and a role model). An intentional community with special needs peers and also neurotypical peers, where he can have a true sense of belonging and friendship. Lucas’ dream is to live at camp (his favorite place in the world). This is as close as it gets! Setting up a child for their lifetime is one of the biggest challenges and fears a parent of a special needs child can face. There is a severe shortage of quality housing, with over 70% of those children ending up living with their parents for their lifetime. This is not optimal in terms of giving those children the opportunity to experience their own life as an adult, and the worst time for a child to become independent is when their parents die. We want to make sure that Lucas is safe when we are gone, and this is an opportunity to do just that. It is going to take a village. We have an amazing team of friends and loved ones eager to help us make this a reality through a fundraising campaign. We are confident that, surrounded by this love and support, we can move mountains! Will you help us in our mission? Thank you for taking the time to watch our video, read our story, make a donation in any amount, and/or sharing this campaign with your friends! With gratitude, Jackie and Lee
***Note from the Fundraising Team***
From day one of Lucas’ life, the challenges have been significant. When he was a baby, Jackie and Lee were told multiple times that he would not survive the night. They were told that the outlook was very grim. They were told to expect the worst. They decided to move forward pouring everything into making the best outcome possible for their son.
Over the years, they spent tens-of-thousands of dollars on private therapies, new cutting-edge treatments, and more. Their dedication to their child got him to where he is today. They have said over the years that while they may never own a home, they have a child who can walk and talk and experience happiness and freedom, and you can never put a price on that. Time and again they knew what they would choose--every time.
Please join us in supporting this amazing family who has been through so much, and yet continues to show so many what unconditional love, gratitude, patience, and perseverance really is.
Any amount you can share with this family will go directly into a trust for Lucas’ long-term housing/living care.
Thank you for your support and generosity!!
P.S. PLEASE take a moment to share this fundraiser with your friends.
As a child with special needs grows up, parents and families are left with critical and emotional questions around where and how their child will live as an adult and who will take care of the adult child when the parents are no longer around. Jackie and Lee have been struggling to answer these questions themselves as Lucas gets older and bigger and has new dreams and challenges.
A personal note from Lucas’s parents, Jackie and Lee:
Our names are Jackie and Lee and we wanted to share the story of a very special young man and our very big dream for him. The young man is our 16-year-old son Lucas, and our dream is to provide him a wonderful place to live in his adult years. Lucas is not your typical teenager. He has spent his 16 years fighting hard for this thing we call life. Born with a congenital heart defect, he had his first open heart procedure at 36 hours old. His heart was too weak and he ended up on life support, which led to the complication of a massive brain hemorrhage and the development of hydrocephalus.
However, Lucas has surprised all the experts who said at worst that he may not live; at best would never walk, never talk, never even eat independently. He is the veteran of 19 surgeries--heart, brain... you get the picture. He has cerebral palsy, Tourette’s syndrome, anxiety, PTSD, is on the autism spectrum, and has global cognitive delays.
Yet all of this doesn’t really tell you who Lucas is. Lucas is an engaging, talkative, laughing and joyful guy who also happens to need a lot of support. As his parents, we are on a mission to make sure he has the most fulfilling life possible. That is why we are writing this message.
We have an opportunity to provide Lucas with a beautiful forever home. A home that will fulfill all of his dreams and hopes for what HE wants out of his life (which by the way, currently includes being a staff person, a construction worker, and a role model). An intentional community with special needs peers and also neurotypical peers, where he can have a true sense of belonging and friendship. Lucas’ dream is to live at camp (his favorite place in the world). This is as close as it gets! Setting up a child for their lifetime is one of the biggest challenges and fears a parent of a special needs child can face. There is a severe shortage of quality housing, with over 70% of those children ending up living with their parents for their lifetime. This is not optimal in terms of giving those children the opportunity to experience their own life as an adult, and the worst time for a child to become independent is when their parents die. We want to make sure that Lucas is safe when we are gone, and this is an opportunity to do just that. It is going to take a village. We have an amazing team of friends and loved ones eager to help us make this a reality through a fundraising campaign. We are confident that, surrounded by this love and support, we can move mountains! Will you help us in our mission? Thank you for taking the time to watch our video, read our story, make a donation in any amount, and/or sharing this campaign with your friends! With gratitude, Jackie and Lee
***Note from the Fundraising Team***
From day one of Lucas’ life, the challenges have been significant. When he was a baby, Jackie and Lee were told multiple times that he would not survive the night. They were told that the outlook was very grim. They were told to expect the worst. They decided to move forward pouring everything into making the best outcome possible for their son.
Over the years, they spent tens-of-thousands of dollars on private therapies, new cutting-edge treatments, and more. Their dedication to their child got him to where he is today. They have said over the years that while they may never own a home, they have a child who can walk and talk and experience happiness and freedom, and you can never put a price on that. Time and again they knew what they would choose--every time.
Please join us in supporting this amazing family who has been through so much, and yet continues to show so many what unconditional love, gratitude, patience, and perseverance really is.
Any amount you can share with this family will go directly into a trust for Lucas’ long-term housing/living care.
Thank you for your support and generosity!!
P.S. PLEASE take a moment to share this fundraiser with your friends.
Fundraising team (2)
Nicola Ries Taggart
Organizer
Alameda, CA
Jacquelyn JacksonDaley
Beneficiary
Jackie JacksonDaley
Team member
