Help us purchase SMART Braillers!

We have received such an incredible response to our initial goal. Alden's Brailler will be ordered shortly. Many of you continue to ask "What about other kids?" We will continue to raise funds to send another Brailler to a child who needs one! Alden's story is below . Help us continue to increase Braille literacy!

"The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats." T. Roosevelt
Alden was born with a genetic condition called Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Due to this hereditary condition, he has been totally blind since birth. When we first discovered Alden was blind, we admittedly were left in tears. This was so different from anything we had expected or planned. Ultimately, we came to the realization that, yes, this is different. Everything was going to be different but it was still going to be okay. Now that he is six years old, Alden has proven that absolutely correct. Everything is different! It's also more than okay - it's fantastic!!!
Alden's family is absolutely dedicated to ensuring that rather than "learning to be blind" he is learning to grow into a functional adult. (A goal that many of us share as we try to raise our children - blind or not.) He does all sorts of ordinary kid stuff - riding roller coasters, trying to surf, climbing rock walls and learning to read. That brings me to our request.
Alden was recently selected to compete in a contest to win a new Smart Brailler. This brailler converts braille into print, making it easier for his family to communicate with him and help him on his journey to literacy. It also provides auditory feedback, which is extremely important in helping him recognize errors and keeping him engaged. This device costs in excess of $2,000, making it financially out of reach for his family. Unfortunately, he didn't win the contest (by less than 1% in the final hours.) Many of our friends have reached out to ask "what can we do next? How can we help Alden and other families?" Where can we donate?"
Please consider making a small donation to help forward our efforts in bringing Marty the SMART Brailler home to Alden. Any funds received in excess of our goal will be used to continue advocating for literacy among the blind.