How we work
Family Support Grant Program
Brady’s Foundation provides financial aid to families caring for children with rare, palliative diseases through our Family Support Grant program. The 3 main areas of focus include:
Medications, Supplements and Feeding Supplies
Brady’s Foundation provides reimbursement to families who need to purchase medications, specialized formulas, and supplements required to care for their children that are not covered by other providers or contract coverages.
There are so many components that go into caring for and feeding a child with complex needs. When Brady was alive, he received either a medication, feed or supplement every hour between 6am and 9pm. In Alberta, financial coverage for medications and supplements varies between health regions. For example, the Calgary Health Region coverage does include certain formulas whereas the David Thompson Health Region in Red Deer & Central Alberta does not, yet specialty formulas used to support children on the Ketogenic diet which aides in suppressing seizures, are not covered by any plan in any region across the Province. There are also protein supplements and supplements to aid in medication effectiveness that are also not covered by any plan in the Province. Due to this lack of consistent and available funding across the province when it comes to medications, supplements & feeding supplies, Brady's Foundation will work with you to ensure your child has access to the best possible nourishment.
EQUIPMENT
Brady’s Foundation provides funding to purchase essential equipment such as wheelchairs, standing aids, and other equipment that will increase the quality of life of the child suffering from a life-limiting disease.
It is so important for families to have access to equipment when they need it. Some diseases progress so fast that families are left with no options but to wait and risk injury to the child or themselves. For example, when Brady was alive, he grew out of his wheelchair that was supposed to last him five years in just two. During the wait for his new wheelchair to come in, all of the support equipment built into his chair had to be removed, leaving him with the risk of sores, strained muscles and improper support. Further, it is an unfortunate reality but sometimes, families with a child diagnosed with a palliative disease may in this situation be denied access to equipment because their child’s condition will not improve with the use of said equipment, and therefore it is assessed that the equipment is better off to go to a child who will gain mobility instead of to one with a palliative disease. Standing aids are a perfect example of equipment that can benefit a child with a progressive degenerative disease but often are not approved for funding. Standing aids have been shown to improve bone strength, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and bowel function. They allow the child to have face to face interactions with family and friends, which improves their general well-being and increases their quality of life. At Brady's Foundation, we believe that any child should have equal access to the necessary equipment need to provide comfort and quality of life.
Infrustructure
Brady’s Foundation provides funding for ramps and other such infrastructure to ensure there is safe and easy access to, from and within the home. The ability to get out of the house for fresh air is so important for families and their children suffering from a life-limiting disease. In addition to ramps, funding covered for other infrastructure includes lift systems and bathroom renovations to make sure that the child can be easily transported from beds to wheelchairs or into bathtubs safely. Injury can happen to both the child and the caregiver without these supports.
When Brady was 3 he attended playschool which required leaving the house every day, before they had a ramp into their home Brady’s parents would have to carry the wheelchair (approx. 30 lbs) and then Brady (40lbs) down a flight of stairs to go to school and then back up the flight of stairs when they got home. The ramp made a huge impact on both Brady and his parents. It is with this experience that Brady's Foundation will strive to help fund infrastructure modifications needed to help children with rare disease have mobility access