Simon’s Story: by Julie S.

How to sum up our experience in just a short paragraph?  Our Simon is exceptional. He’s three years old and has touched the hearts of countless, all over the country. His smile can truly light up your life.

Simon has special needs. He’s a medical enigma. Simon sees doctors at our Columbus Children’s Hospital, we travel to Cincinnati Children’s, and we have traveled six hours for one of the top Pediatric Feeding programs in the country – in Indiana.  We don’t go on vacation. We go to therapy.

During all of those trips, Simon would not sleep. I would not sleep. Because you see, he is not safe unless he’s in an enclosed bed.   And so for the three weeks that we were in Indiana for Intensive feeding (the first time), I held him in my arms and sang and rocked him for hours at night.  If he actually fell asleep and I dared lay him in his crib, I would then sit in a chair next to the crib to ensure he (and his feeding tube) were safe.  All. Night. Long.  For three weeks.   The level of exhaustion during that time was indescribable.

Then, I found The Safety Sleeper.  The next time we traveled to Indiana, we were able to rent one.  And guess what happened?  Simon slept, in his amazing travel bed.  He loved it.  He played in it.  And guess what else happened?  I slept, too.

We’ve since purchased our own, with the help of The Safety Sleeper and Fund It Forward.  We traveled to Kentucky for a special needs camp as a family – and guess what happened?  Simon got a wonderful night’s sleep. As did we.

To say The Safety Sleeper changed our lives is no understatement.  No longer do I worry about traveling for doctor appointments. Because I know my son has a safe place to sleep, wherever he may go.  And that, my friends, is priceless.

Julie S