WheelsForKidsMovie

Wheels for Kids Party-CityPlace Tower

January 22, 2009 at the new CityPlace South Tower

across from CityPlace in West Palm Beach

Denise, John and Dorothy Sullivan

Mary Hall, Chad Michael and Denise

John and Dorothy Sullivan with Jacquie and Link Klein

Jean Wort, Mary Hall, Denise Jungbert, Foundere of Wheels for Kids,

Terri Sparks and Rose Marie Brancato

David and Gloria Stuart

Photos by

Ronald Tee Johnson

Co-Publisher

& Editor

Palm Beach Today

Maria Rothen

Jill Burdett with Denise

Gayle Clark, Sales Manager at CityPlace South Tower

with sales representatives David Staples, left, and Chad Michael, right

Visit the CityPlace South Tower website

Kathy Lewis, Denise Parisi, Denise Mariani, Rose Marie Brancato

Peter Robinson, Liza Rosch

Melissa Allen

See more

WHEELS FOR KIDS

Events 2009

Party at CityPlace Tower

Luncheon at Cafe Boulud

Party at Leila

Party at Island Palm

Party at Cafe Sapori

$50,000 gift from Mrs. Florence DeGeorge!

Wheels for Kids Luncheon February 3, 2009 Cafe Boulud Palm Beach

As an appreciate luncheon audience looked on, a thrilled Denise Jungbert, left, founder of Wheels for Kids, hugs Florence DeGeorge in appreciation for Mrs. DeGeorge's $50,000 gift which will purchase a wheelchair.

Photo by

Ronald Tee Johnson

Palm Beach Today

Hello!

My name is Denise Jungbert, and I am the President of “Wheels For Kids”, a non-profit organization established in 2003 to provide wheelchairs to children with disabilities and their families who could not otherwise afford to purchase them.

I would like to tell you a little bit about what brought me here. My daughter, Ashlee, just turned 18 years old in October 2006. From the start, she was seemingly without problems, but at 9 months of age, Ashlee was not progressing as she should. Ashlee was weak. We learned that she suffered from a condition known as Hypotonia Cerebral Palsy.

Ashlee’s father and I were working full-time, but did not make enough money for the five-day-a-week physical and occupational therapies, which cost over $100,000 per year. At the time we did not have health insurance. When we tried to obtain it, we discovered that pre-existing conditions were not covered.

Ashlee’s first manual wheelchair at age 2, which she quickly outgrew, cost $3,200. The costs for Ashlee’s therapies, braces and wheelchairs were so high that my husband and I could not financially support her. I quit my job, and my husband and I divorced in 1992 in order to qualify for Medicaid to shoulder Ashlee’s medical bills. However, we stayed a nuclear family.

We were told by the doctors that Ashlee would go from a crib, to a bed, to a nursing home and that would be her life. We refused to accept this, and vigorously championed her therapies. Ashlee has now had four wheelchairs totaling $36,000. Her current custom-made electric wheelchair cost $24,000 and most recently needed the seating to be refurbished at a cost of $3500.

This is why I established “Wheels For Kids” – to help middle class families with children with disabilities keep up with the progressive growth and cost of wheelchairs. I want to help the children who fall between the cracks. I hope you will join me on my journey.

Wheels for Kids, Inc. is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2003 by Denise Jungbert in honor of her daughter, Ashlee, who has Cerebral Palsy (CP). The organization was established to provide wheelchairs to handicapped children afflicted with CP living in Palm Beach County who are financially unable to purchase them on their own and who do not qualify for public funding or other charitable sources. It was created in the belief that working parents should not have to give up their livelihoods to give their child the most healthy and independent life possible.

Cerebral Palsy affects children physically in many different ways for which a wheelchair must be designed and modified to the special needs of the child. For example: some children may need headrest support, lateral body support, and specific seating to support being in a wheelchair up to 12 hours a day. Like our legs, a customized wheelchair makes life a great deal easier and in many cases gives a child more independence to interact with others without assistance.

Objective

Wheels for Kids, Inc.’s ultimate goal is to make sure every child who needs ac ustom-made mobility device receives one from Wheels for Kids after exhausting all other sources.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella-like term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time. The term cerebral refers to the brain’s two halves or hemispheres, and palsy describes any disorder that impairs control of body movement. Thus, these disorders are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain’s ability to adequately control movement and posture. At this time, it cannot be cured, although scientific research continues to yield improved treatments and methods of prevention.

Join Us!

If you would like to make a donation or if you have a wheelchair you would like to donate to us, please contact us at (561) 752-0799.

WHEELS FOR KIDS, INC

Telephone:

561.752.0799

info@wheelsforkids.org

P.O. Box 57

West Palm Beach, FL

33402-0057

www.wheelsforkids.org.

Bookmark this Wheels for Kids page on societynewspapers.com/wheelsforkids.html

Denise Jungbert & Ruby Funfrock -Photo's by Charles Jungbert

Raffle Items

Roy Assad, Leila Owner

Denise and John Biondo

Jack Phillips with his daughter at the big event at Leila

Brandi Upright, Director of Marketing, American Orchid Society

Raffle winner Denise Romanowski

Peter Robinson of Oceanside Farmers Market with Board Member Claire Perez

Claire Perez

Jackie Wood

Ann with Stewart Auville

Friend, Hanna Bright at right

Hanna Bright, left, with Denise

Elizabeth Eubanks, Palm Beach County School Teacher

John, Jose Rodriguez, Brian Gustafson, Stewart Auville, Scott Curry, & Brandy Upright

Yvonne Quiles

(L-R) Jose Rodriguez, friend, Denise

Roberta Sabban

Elizabeth and Rob Eubanks and friend

(L-R) Jose Rodriguez, Brian Gustafson, Stewart Auville

Scott Curry and Brandi Upright

Charles Jungbert and Seeley Phillips

Tracy and Jack Phillips

WHEELS FOR KIDS

Join the journey to put the wheels in motion!

Please wait a bit for the movie to download. Thank you.

Big Wheels for Kids Night at Island Palm!

Denise Jungbert, founder of Wheels for Kids, Mary Hubbs,

John and Dorothy Sullivan

Charles Jungbert, Kimberly Armstrong of Wheels for Kids,

John Biondo and, front, Blake Burdett

Marc Wood with his mother, Jackie

Public Relations Executive Elaine Meier

with Peter Robinson, Executive Director of the

Oceanside Farmer's Market on the Lake Worth Beach.

The Day's .... which one is NOT a brother?

(Left to right) Joseph Day, Richard Day, owner of Island Palm Restaurant

in Palm Beach and noted shirt designer (visit his shop next to Island Palm) and David Day.

Blake Burdett with

his grandparents,

Dr. James and

Jane Riley.

The Riley's recently moved from

Hilton Head to Ibis.

The Riley's were

thrilled to win

a portrait sitting

at Studio Palm Beach

in the raffle held at

the Island Palm

Restaurant event

for Wheels for Kids.

Photos by

Palm Beach Today's

Ron Johnson

Big Wheels for Kids Night at Leila!

(L-R) Maria Molnar, Marc Wood, Jill Burdett

Photo's by Palm Beach Today's Ron Johnson

(L-R) Wendy Roberts & Denise Jungbert

John Biondo

(L-R) Wendy Robert, James and Johanna Redmer, Russell Balasco and Tracy Berman

(L-R) Renette Verhaeghe, John and Dorothy Sullivan

John and Chelsea O'Neill with baby Chloe

At Left: Soon-to-be-married

Kristina Antonova and Fred mcCarthy

Above: Leslie Adams and Maya Johnson,

Society Editor of Palm Beach Today

Wheels for Kids Cafe Sapori Party

Denise, Ashlee and Charles

"Join me on the journey! Please call me

and find out how you can help our cause."

-Wheels for Kids Founder - Denise Jungbert 561.752.0799

Wheels for Kids Cover Palm Beach Today

A MOTHER'S LOVE

By Ronald Tee Johnson

Co-Publisher & Editor

Palm Beach Today

Most gala organizers have a heart of gold and serve their causes with a passon, but few actually experience the pain and anguish associated with the cause.

Denise Jungbert has been through it and rather than suffer in silence, she reached out to help her beloved Ashlee survive and to other parents who lacked the substantial resources it takes to give their child the opportunity to live a quality life.

“My daughter, Ashlee, just turned 20 years old in October 2006. From the start, she was seemingly without problems, but at 9 months of age, Ashlee was not progressing as she should. Ashlee was weak. We learned that she suffered from a condition known as Hypotonia Cerebral Palsy,” said Denise.

Ashlee’s father and Denise were working full-time, but did not make enough money for the five-day-a-week physical and occupational therapies, which cost over $100,000 per year. At the time they did not have health insurance. When they tried to obtain it, they discovered that pre-existing conditions were not covered.

Ashlee’s first manual wheelchair at age 2, which she quickly outgrew, cost $3,200. The costs for Ashlee’s therapies, braces and wheelchairs were so high that they could not financially support her. “I quit my job, and my husband and I divorced in 1992 in order to qualify for Medicaid to shoulder Ashlee’s medical bills, she said.

“We were told by the doctors that Ashlee would go from a crib, to a bed, to a nursing home and that would be her life. We refused to accept this, and vigorously championed her therapies. Ashlee has now had four wheelchairs totaling $36,000. Her current custom-made electric wheelchair cost $24,000 and most recently needed the seating to be refurbished at a cost of $3500.

“Because of a mother’s love, Denise established “Wheels For Kids” – to help middle class families with children with disabilities keep up with the progressive growth and cost of wheelchairs. “I want to help the children who fall between the cracks. I hope you will join me on my journey. “