I would like to introduce you to Miss Ashlynn Reed and her family. They are fine Waterloo folks, and I am sure you can see that Ashlynn has a smile that simply cannot be beat.

Ashlynn is 9 years old and was born with a rare neurological disorder called bilateral open lip schizencephaly. She was diagnosed when mom was bout 26 weeks pregnant with her.

There is no known reason why her brain formed the way it did, but it did! Her condition is quite rare, with it occurring about 1:100,000. While Ashlynn's parents knew she would have challenges, the doctors couldn’t give mom and dad any idea what to expect when it came to Ashlynn’s quality of life. They just kept saying it was a “waiting game”.

Nine years later, Ashlynn is wheelchair dependent, nonverbal, gtube fed, and epileptic. She relies fully on her parents and caregivers to do everything for her. She has high muscle tone, which has extremely affected her mobility, and Ashlynn went through two different surgeries this past summer as well.

Ashlynn is a total giggle box. She loves attention. She smiles ear to ear over the people and things she loves. She is adventurous, and her parents hold her back from nothing. They take her boating, tubing, camping, on vacations, to theme parks, and get her on rides she’s capable of doing with us, and so much more! She is a social butterfly and absolutely loves all her people.

As Ashlynn grows, it is getting more and more difficult to get her and her equipment in and out of the family vehicles. One of the family's immediate needs is a handicap accessible van that better allows Ashlynn to join them on family adventures.

Ashlynn's Journey to Mobility

Ashlynn Reed