Lend4Health Needs Loan Requests!

I woke up to some great news in my email this morning. One of the loans we had given through Lend4Health had been fully repaid. There was $25 sitting in my paypal account! I am so excited that our small loan was able to help one child, and that we can now recycle the money to help another child.

The only bad news is that there aren't any current loan requests. I talked with Tori a little bit this morning via email, and she said she would really like to see an influx of new loan applications. The more applications she gets, the more children can get loans.

So, if you are a parent who is struggling to pay for your child's biomedical treatments, or looking for a way to avoid high interest credit cards and/or creative financing, now is a perfect time to put in a request. Tori really wants people to know that Lend4Health is for everyone, not just those in desperate financial straights. For those of us who really do have to get creative to get our kids the treatment they need, or who have been putting treatments off until money becomes available, this is a great option.

From what I can tell, the process is very simple: just fill out the request on the website (you do not need to provide any financial information); Tori checks references; and she disperses the funds. Smaller loans ($500 or less) seem to get funded the fastest, but I have seen larger loans go through as well.

Also, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of Lend4Health, I know Tori has a ton of ways you can help. This time of year, it always seems like a good idea!

It's Holiday Time!

Every year we start our Christmas decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. First thing yesterday morning, Michael wanted to put up the tree and go see the winter lights. We explained that we had to clean up the house first, and then start decorating. And before any of that, we had to go to his Craniosacral appointment. He spent most of the appointment explaining that our house is a mess and he had to help clean up before we would put up the Christmas tree. Of course, he had a huge temper tantrum on the way home, so we didn't get as much accomplished yesterday as we had hoped.

Today, we did manage to get the decorations out and the tree up. Steve is still working on the lights, though. My personal goal is to be able to put up the ornaments with Michael tomorrow after school. I have never seen Michael so excited about Christmas. He found a gingerbread man ornament and has been running around the house saying "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" He's absolutely adorable!

There is a huge Winter Lights Festival that we take Michael to every year. He loves going and would go every day if only we let him (and we could afford it). Normally it starts the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, it doesn't start until next Friday. They did have 'preview days' this weekend, but it would be impossible to explain that they were open for two days, and then closed the rest of the week. So, we now have next Friday circled on the calendar and Michael is counting down the days. If anyone from the Festival reads this, please reconsider a season pass?

It really is wonderful to see Michael so excited about Christmas. What's even better is that he doesn't care about presents at all. He just loves the decorations, the snow globes, and spending time with relatives he doesn't get to see that often. After reading about people getting trampled on Black Friday, just spending a little time with him makes me remember all the real joy of the holidays!

Lend 4 Health

I've been meaning to write a post about Lend 4 Health for a while now, but was waiting to be closer to the IdeaBlob contest. So, I guess now is the time!

I love the basic premise: interest-free micro loans to people struggling to pay for biomedical treatments for their children with autism. You can loan as little as one dollar to help fund a child, or you can fund the whole treatment if you have the money. And, it's not a donation - it's a loan. The recipients will pay the money back over time. You can then take your money, or reinvest it in another child's treatment.

You often hear the phrase "Autism Community", and it's true that there are so many of us affected by autism in one way or another. There are many local support groups for parents. But, it's also true that helping your child with biomedical treatments can be incredibly lonely. There are internet based support groups, but very few people have access to anything local. What does this have to do with Lend 4 Health??

Lend 4 Health is building a biomed community that directly touches children's lives. It lets those of us who have extremely tight budgets help each other's children. It brings us all together to support all children 'doing' biomed, and their families. I love watching Tori's video because our family has made loans to several of the children featured. We feel that we are part of their recovery, in addition to our own son. That's a powerful feeling for families who often feel powerless.

So, please visit Lend 4 Health, look at the children who have been helped, nominate the next child, and just appreciate the community there. Then, please vote in the IdeaBlob contest, so Tori can expand this wonderful, effective program!

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