Community Projects at
Maxie’s Hope
Community outreach for 2023 is in full swing! I have personally hosted several events in partnership with the yoga community as I also teach yoga. These were held at studios in Barrington, Deerfield, Highland Park, and Wilmette.
My donation-based classes helped reach many new people who had never heard of Canavan disease before. We successfully raised awareness about Canavan disease as well as funds in honor of Rare Disease Day and Maxie.
In addition, we're installing an accessible bench at a playground right near our local headquarters. It's at a park where I used to take Maxie while he was still alive. The bench has a plaque with a picture of Maxie and will serve to let more people know about Canavan disease.
Bringing Maxie's Hope and awareness to a whole new community of people is now an ongoing project, and my goal is to keep increasing our reach and forming partnerships within the rare disease space.
Our first accessible bench was installed at Mill Creek Park. The Buffalo Grove Park District is in the process of converting all benches in the district to comply with ADA guidelines, and we have committed to sponsor as many benches as possible. This ongoing project will provide seating for many people and be accessible for people like Maxie who use wheelchairs. He spent a lot of time enjoying this park, and I am grateful to all our supporters who have enabled us to help provide accessible seating for other families to enjoy the parks.
We had a small group of friends, family, and representatives from the park district in attendance for the installation. The spot on the left of the bench is where Maxie would have been able to sit in his wheelchair. We want to bring comfort and happiness to more people in his name and to honor his memory.
If you would like to help with this project, contributions can be made here:
A Bench in Memory of Maxie
There are no words to describe the depth of this loss and constant grief without my Maxie here, but doing things in his memory can help others, and that's exactly what he'd want.
The pictures below show where the bench will be installed.
To help us with this ongoing project, donations can be made here:
Restorative Yoga Classes
Maxie was my first yoga student, and he loved knowing that he was practicing the original form of yoga seated in his wheelchair. Today, I help bring comfort to other people and let them enjoy the benefits of yoga and mindful breathing.
I lead special restorative workshops covering different types of yoga and controlled breathing techniques, which participants can practice if they choose. My workshops are fully accessible for all levels and designed to be inclusive regardless of mobility.
Reach Out Today
Join Maxie’s Hope in promoting awareness of Canavan disease in the community. Please contact me at [email protected] if you are interested in arranging a yoga workshop or class for your group, company, conference, or event, or have questions about the cost.