non-profit spotlight

By: Angela Arlington

F O U N D A T I O N

Anna’s Celebration of Life Foundation (ACOLF) is an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization that makes a difference in the lives of Indiana children living with special needs by providing the life-enhancing tools, equipment, and technologies that will help them thrive.

The formation of ACOLF in 2005 was inspired by Anna Molloy, an Indianapolis child who was born on September 28, 1995, with geolophysic dysplasia. Geolophysic dysplasia is a condition, which causes abnormalities in the bones, joints, heart, and skin. Anna underwent many operations as a young girl, but in spite of her condition, her spirit remained palpable and she put her heart and soul into making other children like her celebrate their “specialness.” Since Anna’s untimely passing in 2008, her legacy continues and her spirit still remains in every gift delivered to a child in need.

Anna

Supporting Special Needs ACOLF supports children living with special needs by providing them with life-enhancing gifts that insurance won’t cover and is typically beyond the financial reach of the family. Throughout ACOLF’s 15 year history, gifts have varied from weighted blankets and therapy swings to more complex gifts such as bone-anchored hearing aids, eye gaze machines, and even iPads and software for non-verbal children on the autism spectrum. In rare cases, they also help families purchase wheelchair-accessible vans or help prevent elopement with fencing and/or GPS devices.

However, the most requested gift statewide continues to be adaptive trikes for children living with a wide range of physical disabilities who are unable to ride traditional bikes.

“We believe that every child with special needs in Indiana deserves to have a sense of normalcy and enjoy being a child,” said ACOLF Director Brad Haberman. “In our early years, we were able to help a dozen or so kids per year. Because of our growth and the incredible generosity of our donors, we are now able to support nearly 100 kids annually with life-enhancing gifts all across Indiana.

Anna at Riley Hospital for Children

Here are some of the gifts given over the years:

Ariel (age 7) from South Bend lives with ataxic cerebral palsy. She was gifted an adaptive trike.

Hawke (9 months) from Elkhart lives with a rare genetic mutation that causes MANY seizures. His family was gifted a SAMi Seizure Alert device.

Colin (age 6) from Yorktown lives with a communication gap from an in-utero stroke. He was gifted an iPad with LAMP Words for Life.

Ty (age 17) lives with cerebral palsy and brain damage. His family received assistance to get a newer accessible van.

Johnny IV (age 5) from Brownsburg lives with autism and has elopement issues. His family was gifted a privacy fence for safe outdoor play.

Archer (8 months) from Granger lives with tetralogy of Fallot and esophageal atresia. His family was gifted a Baby Jogger Lux stroller.

Anna and Vice President Pence

Anna with Lucious Newsom (mentioned in the article)

The Lord’s Pantry at Anna’s House

Young Anna Molloy also inspired the creation of what is now known as The Lord’s Pantry at Anna’s House, a totally separate nonprofit food pantry located just west of downtown Indianapolis serving the Stringtown community. The ministry was founded by the late Lucious Newsom, a Baptist minister from Tennessee who was called by God to help feed the poor. After meeting Anna, who volunteered often with her family to help build a “home” for the then-sidewalk ministry, Lucious was moved to honor Anna by naming the new home of his food ministry after her. Lucious and Anna died 18 days apart in 2008.

Testimonial: “Thank you so much for all of your help (and the whole organization). I know we have referred many patients to Anna’s Celebration of Life Foundation to obtain equipment and DME that otherwise would not have been available. The equipment you have provided has changed and enhanced many lives, including [that of] my own son, Henderson. Henderson uses his swing almost daily, and it has been such a huge help with self-regulation and calming. I can’t tell you how much our families, therapists, and myself appreciate what you do to help everyone.”

Jeremy Vories, MSOTR Occupational Therapist, Pediatrics Reid Health - Right beside you. Richmond, IN

Contact Information: Website: www.acolf.org Email: contact@acolf.org Phone number 317-524-1300

Do you run a non-profit? Would you like to be a part of the non-profit spotlight or nominate someone else to be in an upcoming issue of Special Needs Living? Email us at SpecialNeedsLivingIndy@n2pub.com.