Make a Microloan for 10-yr old Matthew's Health!

This loan is still being repaid.

First Posted On: February 18, 2009

Name: Matthew Paul G.

Age: 10 years old

Diagnosis: Severe Autism

Loan Sought: $288

Loan Needed For: SUPPLEMENTS: 2 bottles of Nordic Naturals children's arctic cod liver oil gels ($73, will last 6 months); 2 bottles of Nordic Naturals Omega 3-6-9 Junior Dietary Supplement ($62, will last 6 months); and 3 bottles of Nordic Naturals Omega-3 gummies ($56, will last 3 months). FOOD (for 1 month): Gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) brown rice bread ($30); GFCF cookies ($40); GFCF pretzels ($16); and GFCF hard candies ($11).

Repayment Terms: 12 months ($24/month)

Other Notes: Matthew's dad, Clint, writes, "Matthew started taking supplements 6 years ago, and he has been on a gluten-free diet for a long time. He has his good days and bad days. He brings you by the hand to get what he wants. Matthew likes to ride in the car, and swim in the summer time. He likes to watch Dragon Tales, Sesame Street, and Blues Clues." Matthew's family has applied for respite care to help take care of Matthew before and after school but there are no caregivers working in their area. Clint believes the low wages for respite care workers is part of this problem. Because of Matthew's size as a 10-year old, Clint (rather than his wife) has been staying home to help get Matthew on and off the bus. They also have a 3-year old that Clint watches during the day while his wife works. The family was receiving food stamps to help pay for Matthew's special GFCF foods, but they stopped receiving them recently. They saw a DAN! doctor (Stephanie Cave) in the past who started them on biomedical treatment, but due to the high cost of the appointments, the family is pursuing biomedical on their own now.

Reference Provided By: Carolyn A., Diana R., and Jill G.

Matthew's Community of Lenders [not updated real-time]:

Petra: $144
Cathleen: $25
Jessica: $119

UPDATES - UPDATES - UPDATES

February 18, 2009: Matthew's loan has been funded!

February 19, 2009: Promissory note sent to Clint for signature.

February 20, 2009: Signed promissory note received from Clint.

February 20, 2009: Thank you note from Clint: "I want to thank petra, cathleen, and jessica for donating for matthew's needs/////////thanks alot, clint"

February 21, 2009: Loan of $288 sent to Clint via post.

March 21, 2009: 1st repayment installment of $24 received 3 weeks early. This installment was due April 15.

May 13, 2009: Clint called to say that he would be putting his May payment in the mail the next day (May 14). The payment is due May 15. He also said that Nordic Naturals sent them enough free products to last them through the end of the year! :)

May 15, 2009: 2nd repayment installment of $24 received. This payment is considered on-time because it was postmarked on-time.

June 19, 2009: 3rd repayment installment (due June 15) is past-due.

July 23, 2009: 4th repayment installment (due July 15) is past-due.

September 17, 2009: 5th repayment installment (due August 15) is past-due.

September 17, 2009: 6th repayment installment (due September 15) is past-due.

November 17, 2009: 7th repayment installment (due October 15) is past-due.

December 18, 2009: 8th repayment installment (due November 15) is past-due.

December 26, 2009: 9th repayment installment (due December 15) is past-due.

February 3, 2010: 10th repayment installment (due January 15) is past-due.

March 24, 2010: 11th repayment installment (due February 15) is past-due.

March 24, 2010: 12th [FINAL] repayment installment (due March 15) is past-due.

March 24, 2010: This loan has come due as of March 15, 2010. According to Lend4Health policy, it will be considered defaulted after 6 months (September 15, 2010).

April 8, 2010: An email from Clint requesting a rescheduled loan repayment. Once a proposed rescheduled repayment plan has been determined, the lenders will be informed.

October 5, 2010: This loan came in default on September 15 according to Lend4Health policy. A total of $48 was repaid. The three lenders on this loan will be sent their repayments as a percentage of the original amount they contributed. This loan is now considered to be partially repaid and partially forgiven.

February 1, 2011: A repayment of $10 has been received. This amount will be repaid to the 3 lenders as a percentage of the original amount they contributed. The amount still due on this loan is $230.00.

February 1, 2011: Update from Clint: "I am sorry it has been a while since I sent you a payment. I have not forgotten about paying this loan off. I have been having a lot of financial problems lately. I just went back to work full-time in November 2010. My son Matthew has been at a training facility in Louisiana since May 2010. He is getting a lot of help with his autism. He has learned to eat with eating utensils 80% of the week. He has also been learning to go to the bathroom. I will start sending you regular monthly payments on March 1, 2011."

Make a Microloan for 7-yr old Chase's Health!

This loan is being repaid!

First Posted On: February 7, 2009

Name: Chase

Age: 7 years old

Diagnosis: Autism/ADHD

Loan Sought: $500

Loan Needed For: Initial consult with Scott Smith, PA, who works under well-known Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) doctor Jeff Bradstreet at the International Child Development Resource Center (ICDRC). The initial consult is $320. The remaining $180 will be used to help pay for one test, as recommended at the consult.

Repayment Terms: 18 months ($27.78/month)

Other Notes: Chase's mom, Nikki, writes, "Chase is an incredibly smart, funny, and affectionate 7 year old boy and my only child. Our journey together has been filled with many blessings, and we have tackled many obstacles and continue to overcome them, one by one, together. Four years ago, I started my own support group called PEACE (Parental Education and Encouragement for Autism in Children Everywhere) because I wanted to help others find a place of hope. Today I am in need of a that very same kind of help. In the last year I have seen Chase's health change and we have been struggling with many illnesses, one on top of the other, that conventional doctors have not been able to help us with. I have been wanting to take Chase to get an evaluation by a DAN! doctor but as a single mom, I have been unable to afford it. Thanks to all of you for making a difference!"

Reference Provided By: Dory H. (Carson's mom) [Dory wrote of Nikki, "She has been such a positive influence on our lives. She helps so many people as a family resource specialist and advocate. Chase has come a long way, but has lately had many health issues that are related to his autism. I hope you will wave your magic wand and include them in the lend4health family! They are so deserving!"] Once Chase was up on the site, Dory wrote to me, "Yippie! I'm so glad Chase is being featured on your site. He is really an incredible kid who has come so far thanks to his phenomenal mom. We were so happy that we could contribute to his healing journey. Chase and Carson are best friends, they have a connection that is inexplicable. I'm sending you a pic of our two boys together. We feel so fortunate to have them in our lives."

Chase's Community of Lenders:

Dory, Kevin, & Carson: $20 ["We know that Chase will respond well to biomed. We will be with you every step of the way. love to you both."] Note: This loan was made outside of ChipIn, so the ChipIn goal amount has been reduced by $20.
Cathleen: $50
Patti: $2.50
Tori: $5 [re-loaned from Carson's repaid loan!]
Petra: $10 [re-loaned from Carson's repaid loan!]
Jeanne (Charlie's mom): $20 ["This loan is in honor of the awesomeness of Michelle O'Neil and in celebration of Charlie's release from the hospital.]
Karen: $15
Renee: $10 ["I just need some good karma today!"]
Andy: $50
Anthony & Julee: $20 [re-loaned from Jonathan's repaid loan!]
Karen: $25 [re-loaned from Jonathan's repaid loan!]
Barbara: $25 [re-loaned from Jonathan's repaid loan!]
Jessica & Ben: $20 ["Best of luck, Chase and Nicole. Ben has been under DAN! treatment for over a year with Dr. Rossignol in Melbourne, and has made great improvements. We wish you all the best. Jessica and Ben Engels"]
Bonnie: $10
Tim: $40
Jennifer: $100
Jan: $77

UPDATES - UPDATES - UPDATES

February 13, 2009: Chase's loan funded!

February 14, 2009: Note from Nicole: "I just want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who contributed to my son's journey of healing on Lend4Health. I was deeply touched by your kindness and generosity and I am so grateful to all of you and Tori for making this possible. We will definitely pay it forward! Sincerely, Nikki and Chase"

February 25, 2009: Note from Nicole: "I am holding off on our loan as I am waiting for a test that I ordered through Great Plains lab. Once I get the results from that I will schedule my appointment and contact you."

January 25, 2010: Promissory note sent to Nicole for signature.

January 28, 2010: Signed promissory note received.

January 28, 2010: Loan of $500 disbursed via check in mail. This loan will be repaid over 18 months, beginning on March 15, 2010.

March 12, 2010: 1st repayment of $27.74 received, early (due March 15). This was an underpayment of $0.04, so the final payment due will be increased by $0.04.

April 8, 2010: 2nd repayment of $27.78 received, early (due April 15).

June 8, 2010: 3rd repayment of $27.78 received, late (due May 15). An overpayment of $0.22 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

June 9, 2010: Note from Nikki: "I am so sorry about the payment! I am NEVER late with any of my bills! I just forgot! So sorry!!"

June 23, 2010: 4th repayment of $27.78 received, late (due June 15).

June 23, 2010: 5th repayment of $27.78 received, early (due July 15). An overpayment of $4.44 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

August 9, 2010: 6th repayment of $27.78 received, early (due August 15). An overpayment of $0.22 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

October 2, 2010: 7th repayment of $27.78 received, late (due September 15).

October 30, 2010: 8th repayment of $27.78 received, late (due October 15). An overpayment of $0.22 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

November 25, 2010: 9th repayment of $27.78 received, late (due November 15). An overpayment of $0.22 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

December 23, 2010: 10th repayment of $27.78 received, late (due December 15). An overpayment of $7.22 also was received, which will be applied to the final installment due.

Make a Microloan for 7-yr old Charlie's Health!

This loan has been paid back in full!

First Posted On: February 4, 2009

Name: Charlie

Age: 7 years old

Diagnosis: Autism

Loan Sought: $1,200 [this was the original amount; a gift from Charlie's grandpa made outside of Lend4Health brought the final loan amount down to $961.50]

Loan Needed For: Three tests: Comprehensive Stool Analysis (CSA), Individualized Optimal Nutrition Panel (ION), and Urine Porphyrin Panel (UPP).

Repayment Terms: 6 months ($200/month originally; $160.25/month final)

Special Note: This is the 2nd Lend4Health loan for Charlie. The first was HERE. The first loan was repaid on-time (early, in fact), so they are eligible to request another loan.

Other Notes: Charlie's mom, Jeanne, writes, "Charlie has been battling multiple medical problems for years. At the age of four he was diagnosed with autism. We immediately started biomedical interventions and continue to do so to this day. Last summer we were able to get Charlie in to see Dr. Arthur Krigsman at Thoughtful House and have seen incredible gains. Now that Charlie's GI (gastrointestinal) issues are more stabilized, our DAN! doc (Dr. Georgia Davis) would like to repeat some testing (ION, CSA, UPP). The tests total $1,200. Due to our current economic deficiencies, we are unable to come up with such a large chunk of money in such a short period of time; however, we can come up with the monthly payment to pay off a loan over six months through Lend4Health. If we are lucky enough to get a tax return check, we will apply the entire amount to our loan in order to pay the balance before the end of the six month plan. As previous L4H loan recipients, we know what a valuable tool these micro loans are to the many families in our community! Thank you lenders for your generosity and willingness to help us help our son! And thank YOU Tori for providing us with this awesome opportunity!" [Note from Tori: You can find more about Charlie and his family's journey at Jeanne's blog, Charlie in Wonderland.]

Reference Provided By: No new reference needed; references were provided during first loan process.

Charlie's Community of Lenders:

Petra: $10 [Cinco de Linco loan - a few early )]
Anonymous: $50
Tori: $10
Jan: $200
Karen: $20
Anonymous #2: $10
Gerald: $25
Danielle (Kosta's mom): $20
Michelle: $20
Julie: $100 ["Feel better Charlie. Love, Sophie"]
Honey: $100 ["Jeanne sending you much love and will be keeping you in my thoughts. Charlie is beautiful! xo Honey"]
Cathleen: $50
Patti: $2.50
Petra (again): $9 [re-loaned from Carson's repaid loan. Feel better soon, Charlie!]
Salamander: $15 [This loan is made by Salamander, who is very worried about Charlie. He hopes that C can go home soon, to play tricks on his mom with his robots.]
Gary: $100
Rachel (Julian's mom): $20
Jan (again): $200

Charlie's grandpa has made a gift to the family (not a loan) of the remaining $238.50! Charlie's loan is, therefore, now funded!

UPDATES - UPDATES - UPDATES

February 9, 2009: Charlie's loan has been funded!

February 9, 2009: Promissory note sent to Jeanne for signature.

February 9, 2009: Signed promissory note received.

February 9, 2009: Loan of $961.50 sent via PayPal.

February 10, 2009: Note from Jeanne:

Hello!

Thank you so much for chipping-in on Charlie's loan for much needed testing, which because of all of you I was able to start today. Imagine our joy when, upon returning from spending the weekend in the hospital with Charlie, we got the news our loan was fully funded and in the process of being dispersed to us that very day.

Words cannot express the gratitude we feel towards you for your generosity and willingness to help. We were shocked and thrilled at how quickly the loan was fulfilled. I will keep you posted as to Charlie's progress. And again, thank you all for your help!

Michael, Jeanne, and Charlie

March 6, 2009: First loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 9 days early.

March 6, 2009: Second loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 1 month early.

March 6, 2009: Third loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 2 months early.

April 22, 2009: Fourth loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 2 months early.

April 22, 2009: Fifth loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 3 months early.

April 22, 2009: Sixth loan repayment installment of $160.25 received, 4 months early.

April 23, 2009: This loan has been fully repaid. This family is considered to be in good standing on Lend4Health and is, therefore, welcome to submit another loan request in the future, if they would like.

April 23, 2009: The original loan amounts have been sent back to the lenders via PayPal.

April 27, 2009: Update from Charlie's mom, Jeanne:

Hello Lenders!

First let me thank you for your generosity! Through your contributions to our Lend4Health loan I was able to complete some much needed testing for Charlie. The results of those tests have enabled us to adjust certain supplements, add in some new ones, and take away a few (yippeee!).

Charlie continues to improve in his speech and cognitive abilities. His social skills have turned a corner as well. Thanks to these great improvements, Charlie was invited to his first (classmate) birthday party. You see, for the past year and a half (kindergarten and 3/4 of first grade), he was the only kid excluded from parties. He would come home crying because the other kids would tell him how much fun they had at a party.

So when the invitation came in the mail he was so excited. He spent the week prior to the party playacting with his stuffed animals. He practiced yelling "Happy Bday," and made sure to thank his stuffed Asimo robot for inviting him to the party. It was adorable. When the time came to take a trip to Toys-R-Us so he could pick out a present, he knew exactly what to get because he now talks to his classmates and knows what they like to play with - it's just incredible!

Best of all, we've seen a complete turn around with some major sensory problems Charlie has been struggling with for years - the main one being his inability to handle the sound of crying (most specifically from a baby or child). To test his new tolerance, we took him to a restaurant last weekend for the first time in over a year. Sure enough, there were several crying babies and children. Charlie never reacted. He sat calmly and enjoyed his experience. He ordered for himself and charmed the waitress.

It has been a long and difficult 4 years for Charlie; however, his journey has proven to me that autism is indeed treatable and children can recover with the proper treatments. As a matter of fact, I feel confident that my son will lose his autism diagnosis this year. He tells me every day that it won't be long before he is no longer "in autism." That's how he views it - something he is in, but will soon come out of. He recognizes he feels better and conversely, can verbalize clearly when he is not feeling good. A much improved situation than the years of silent suffering, that's for sure!

Thanks again to all of you for enabling us to properly test and treat Charlie.

I hope you will all continue to contribute micro loans to the children and families on Lend4Health. You really can make a direct difference in a child's life, just look what you did for my son!

With deep appreciation,
Jeanne
Charlie's Mom
charlieinwonderland.com

Amazing

I was in a sentimental mood today and wanted to make a little video about the amazing kids we have met here on Lend4Health. They are such sweethearts. I picked the song imagining the parents saying/thinking these words to their children. But then I kind of expanded the concept of the video, adding in actual quotes I've received about the Lend4Health experience -- both from the parents and from their lenders.

And now it's just a big Lend4Health love-fest. Get your tissues and click on "play."

From me to all of you...