That's us
Our Story
Hello everyone, we are Lavinia & Giuseppe and this is our story.
TWIN KIDS FOUNDATION
What is the issue and why should this project be supported financially?
Lavinia & Giuseppe
Our children are in wheelchairs and this has changed so much all our lives.
In September 2013, my husband and I became proud parents of our twins Lavinia and Giuseppe.14 months after birth, our children showed muscular weaknesses. To this day, they cannot stand up and walk on their own. Very intensive months followed, marked by many examinations and still ongoing therapies. We were never given a proper diagnosis, as we have it on our prescriptions today.
Principally, we have somehow grown into the diagnosis, because the developmental disorders are manifold.
The emotions varied from endless anticipation of the birth of the children, to the thrill of witnessing their first months of life, to the shock of having to learn that one’s own children will never be able to live unrestrictedly.
TWIN KIDS FOUNDATION
A few years later.....
Our children's motor development is still at the level of a toddler compared to other children of the same age.
They crawl, can now sit up independently for short periods, and are making progress in their expressive abilities.
For about 18 months now, they have also begun to speak in their own way.
They can move incredibly well with their wheelchairs. Where other children jump around in puddles, Lavinia and Giuseppe drive through, turn in circles and simply have fun.
The gap to other children of their age becomes wider and wider.
They can now communicate quite well, but conversations with them are very difficult.
Nevertheless, they chatter all day and I am very grateful for that.
They have made really great progress in the last few years, which we would never have thought at the beginning.
Over the years, we first became aware that Lavinia and Giuseppe needed more and more care. It is a never-ending process.
And this process is exhausting. It is very exhausting. All this is sad – and it makes you afraid. Afraid of the future.
What happens after school? What if we are no more here? What if….? Worries have become a constant companion in our family.
We love our children from the bottom of our hearts, but it is excessively exhausting. A disability like this turns your whole life as you knew it upside down, and we’ve all been severely restricted ever since.
We have lost many, many feathers in the last 9 years,
It took us a long time to accept our children’s disabilities. Everyone deals with this differently and some even need professional help.
My husband and I haven’t been a couple for a long time. We just functioned like robots. As I write this, many tears roll down my cheek because it simply hurts to admit it. On the other hand, it is important to be able to recognize reality. Because that’s the only way we can work on making things better.
Right now, we are in the process of rediscovering ourselves as a couple. I really hope we can make it, between caring, school children and work.
TWIN KIDS FOUNDATION
When everyday life
becomes a challenge
The children receive physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Since they attend a curative day school, they even have the opportunity to receive swimming and riding therapy there.
Our children’s disability has a huge impact on our everyday family life.
Everything is geared towards life with the twins in wheelchairs.
Go on holiday or go on excursions?
For others, the preparation for this consists of 3 clicks on a booking portal or a short visit to the travel agency.
Not so with us. We are (have been) quite a sporty and active family and we love hiking, long bike tours, skiing and of course beach holidays – but with children in wheelchairs?
We always have to plan carefully. Is the hotel equipped for disabled people? Are there restaurants nearby that are barrier-free? What daytime activities can the children take part in?
Healthy people simply jump up one or two steps without thinking about it. For Lavinia & Giuseppe, these are already insurmountable obstacles.
My greatest wish is that they continue to drive through life with their wheelchair as confidently as they do now, and that we can give them the necessary strength to do so. But for that we need a lot of space, time and financial support.
Actually, you usually hear or read that people grow with their tasks and that it will work out. But no, it won’t, and it doesn't have to. You can cry, scream, be angry. You can doubt and grieve. You can grieve for the carefree life you imagined for yourself. You are allowed to be angry at everything and everyone. You can shout out all your frustrations and quarrel with life. I do that often, even after all these years.
But afterwards, you should look back with gratitude at what you have already achieved. What hearts and people you have moved.
That you have great children. That life can be very worth living and valuable even for disabled children. And that doubting is normal.
Yes, I would like to pass this on to other parents. You don't always have to be strong. Weakness is natural, authentic, human, and simply part of life.
TWIN KIDS FOUNDATION
Things should get better -
The Foundation
Our goal is to raise funds to support our non-profit foundation for the children.
The donated funds will primarily be used to adapt their living environment so that they can live safely and accessibly in the future.
This requires appropriate renovations to make the children's daily lives as easy as possible.
Another portion of the funds will be used to pay the remaining balance for a wheelchair-accessible van with a linear lift 🚐.
Furthermore, the donations will also enable us to take vacations and trips together.
The financial support will also give us more freedom, peace, and time to spend with our children,
passing on our experiences, our knowledge, and everything we need for their future.
Our greatest wish is that they can lead their lives as independently and successfully as possible.
That's what every parent wants. However, we need the time for normal family life, in which such things happen, for the care of the twins. So, as things stand, there is simply no free space to do what parents normally do.
Joy and fun are the main motivation to support the children's health progress.
In order to maintain the motivation of our children Lavinia and Giuseppe, who need therapy, professional long-term therapies in a playful way and more therapy equipment are needed. It is significant to be able to motivate them with activities from their daily lives to enable them to have a life which is as carefree as possible.
We wish to secure the future of Lavinia and Giuseppe with the foundation also financially, for the time when we can no longer be there for them.
We would be very happy if you would join us on our journey through this project.
Sincerely