team tacy - our 10th year riding for ucp!
January 12, 2015
Tacy - 14 years old
Meet my daughter Tacy. I know that many of you have been following my blog for many years and know the story of this sweet girl. If you haven't, I am sure you might have noticed from photos here or on my Instagram that she is something just a little more special.
Tacy has significant special needs. She is diagnosed with hypotonic cerebral palsy and autism along with a laundry list of other issues and problems. She may be 14, but cognitively she functions at about a 2-3 year old level. She is considered nonverbal, but communicates is other ways to let us know her wants, needs, and feelings. Our days are filled with medication, therapy appointments, special education, communication devices, leg braces, diapers, and so much more.
For the past 9 years, we have had a team in honor of our Tacy to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy of Central Minnesota in the Stuck-in-Motion bike race. United Cerebral Palsy is a national organization that support people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities too. They have helped us pay for equipment/therapy that Tacy has needed that insurance won't cover, like headphones for her therapeutic listening program and horseback riding therapy. They sponsor community events that our family has attended like a bowling league and Halloween parties. UCP of Central Minnesota is sponsoring an arts program for people with disabilities that I personally have been helping plan and run. This organization is near and dear to me and they have been a support to us as long as we have known that Tacy has special needs.
Team Tacy will ride again this year - OUR 10TH YEAR! Our family and friends come together to raise money and have lots of fun and it's all for Tacy. We can't change her special needs, but we can support her to be the best that she can be. I am so amazed that we have been getting together this long to raise money for this organization that supports our family and so many families like ours. That says something for sure.
I put together a video to look back at the past years that we have done the bake race and I just love seeing all the faces of friends and family that have been a part of our team - both riding and cheering us on.
You can see our Tacy growing up - as well as the rest of our family and friends through the years!
Now, this past fall when the big ice bucket challenge was happening for ALS, I was challenged. I am putting my $100 challenge donation towards Team Tacy to kick it off. Being it's our 10th year, it would be AWESOME to see this be our very best year yet. Last year, our team raised over $7200 for UCP.
If you would like to make a donation to Team Tacy, you can go to our team page here and then choose me, Heather Nichols, from the team roster. We race on Saturday, January 24th!
Whether you send a donation, or cheer us on for the race (and everyday!) I just want to say thank you so much. Thank you for letting me share about this piece of my family and heart.
We love our Tacy so, so much.