Meet Our Giveaway Recipient!

Inclusion is at the heart of our mission. We do all we can to support families with medical and adaptive needs all year round.

Every year around the holidays, we request nominations for one family to receive a Bunch Bike as our gift. This is always a challenging process because we receive so many beautiful, heartfelt nominations, getting a glimpse of so many families for whom being able to bike together would truly be life changing. We wish we could give a bike to each of you.

We're grateful to each of you who participated for sharing your stories. You inspire us to keep growing, so we can give more, and to keep fighting for the supports that make family biking more accessible to all ages and all abilities. 

And we are so proud, honored and excited to present - this year's recipient family!

Meet the family

Jeannie and Russell are proud parents to Elizabeth, aged 10. She's a friendly, outgoing fourth grader who loves animals and being outdoors. The family lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, where there are wonderful paved trails to explore on foot or by bike. 

Russell is a retired police detective, and Jeannie worked in pastoral care and public service for most of her career. They have four older kids who are now in their thirties.

As their kids grew, Russell and Jeannie served as foster parents for many years, caring primarily for teen boys and children with significant health needs who could be challenging to place.

A foster care journey

Elizabeth came to the family through the foster care system when she was five. She has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which affects her development. She is nonverbal and sometimes has cluster seizures.

At times she can walk a little bit with assistance, but she has trouble with balance, mobility and stamina, and requires 24/7 line of sight supervision. Out of the house, she usually uses a wheelchair or adaptive stroller in order to stay safe. 

When Elizabeth was nine, once it became clear that she would not be able to return to her biological family, Jeannie and Russell adopted her with joy. 

They closed their home to other foster placements at that time. However, they continue to serve the foster community through respite care, mentoring new foster parents and supporting former foster children as they grow. 

Jeannie also retired from her community work so she could care for Elizabeth full time.

Keeping up with Elizabeth

With lots of loving care, Elizabeth has grown stronger and more confident over time. She's mastered new skills through physical therapy - and she's also gotten a lot more active and feisty!

Jeannie and Russell are older parents, and Russell has also faced a number of health issues this year. Figuring out how to get outdoors and stay active with Elizabeth has been a challenge, especially while Russell recovers from surgery and Jeannie is caring for both of them. As most of us know from experience, staying home full time with a child can also be an isolating experience. 

Lining up all the services and equipment that Elizabeth needs has also been a little overwhelming at times, especially as she transitions out of the foster care system. Jeannie shared that the Angelman Syndrome Foundation has been an amazing resource and source of support, but there is is still a lot to figure out and catch up on to make sure that Elizabeth has everything she needs at school and at home.

A new bike adventure

Elizabeth loves to be outdoors, and Russell and Jeannie love biking, hiking and exploring the wonderful mountain trails in their area. But Lizzie is too big for a bike trailer, so the family hasn't been able to go biking together. If the trip isn't wheelchair accessible, one parent has always had to stay home with her. 

We are providing a Bunch Bike 4+ with a swing-open front door, to make it easier to assist Elizabeth in climbing in and out of the bike. We've added a seat cushion and special lap belt for Elizabeth to ride safely, as well as a dashboard package, locking system and storage cover for the family's convenience. 

We're delighted that the gift of a Bunch Bike will make it easier for the whole family to enjoy outdoor adventures together. They'll be able to take a family bike ride on the riverfront trail that runs through their valley, with Elizabeth riding in the front passenger area and enjoying the view. We've also included a leash kit - so they can bring along their dog! We hope this setup will work for Elizabeth through her teen years and into adulthood. 

Jeannie is also looking forward to being able to get out of the house more easily with Elizabeth during the day. She plans to bike around the neighborhood and visit their local coffee shop where Lizzie loves to sit outside. Getting around by bike will help Jeannie take care of her own health and give them both more opportunities to connect with friends and neighbors, too. 

Jeannie writes, "The Bunch Bike will make a world of difference to our family." 

Special shoutouts and bonus fun facts

• Jeannie and Russell are originally from Denton, Texas, where Bunch Bikes is based! They both graduated from UNT, where Bunch Bikes owner & founder Aaron Powell also went to college. 
  
  
• We didn't know about this connection until after we called Jeannie to notify and congratulate her. She saw the Denton phone number pop up and thought a relative was calling!
  
  
• The family would like to extend a special and heartfelt thank you to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) for all they do to support Elizabeth and other families of children with Angelman Syndrome.
  
  
• Jeannie first learned about the Bunch Bike from ASF's social media. We love working with ASF and our families are closely connected! Several ASF families have purchased Bunch Bikes or received Family Fund grants to help, and we're also proud to participate in ASF's Family Conference. 
  
  
• Jeannie and Russell continue to stay deeply connected with the foster care community by offering respite care, mentorship, and ongoing support to young people who were in their care. 
  
  
• They encourage everyone in our Bunch fam to check out NFPA (National Foster Parents Association) and learn more about how you can support children in foster care too - and the families that open their homes to them! 

 

Click to meet past honorees: 2022 Giveaway, 2023 Giveaway, 2024 Grassroots Giveaway

Click to schedule a chat with our inclusion coordinator

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