INDIANAPOLIS — Holiday cheer filled the Indiana State Fairgrounds Sunday as hundreds of families got to experience a special event just for them.
A Kid Again Indianasupports kids with life-threatening conditions, like 8-year-old Gwenivive Nelson.
"For a family with someone who has special needs, we don't feel like a family with someone with special needs while we are here," said Gwenivive's mother, Aja.
Gwenivive has Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome — a genetic disorder that causes cognitive and physical disabilities. Only 500 people are diagnosed with the disease world wide.
"Not only are we in this world now but we are very alone in this world," Aja said. The Nelsons say events like A Kid Again's Holiday Adventure make them feel less alone.
"The other families are somewhat in the same position we are and we know how to interact with their children just as much as they know how to interact with ours," Aja said.
A Kid Again hosts about 15 events, called adventures, a year. Right now they service around 700 families in Indiana alone. The organization started in Ohio but has been in Indiana for 5 years. The executive director says all of their adventures focus on the family as a whole. It's not just the children with special needs or life threatening illnesses that are getting gifts, siblings do as well. Another big focus of the adventures is to bring families who are experiencing similar situations together.
"We want our adventures to be group based so that families can connect with one another and just be in a place where they feel normal," said Katie Pappas, executive director of A Kid Again's Indiana Chapter.
The adventures have been a blessing to the Nelson family.
"One of the important things is being able to get out as a family," Justin Nelson said. "When you have a child with special needs it's just hard to get out and do anything... go shopping, go to dinner, go to a sports event. Through A Kid Again we've been able to do a lot of things that we wouldn't otherwise be able to do. "
The organization estimates there are about 10,000 families across the state that qualify for their services. All of their adventures are offered free of charge to the families of children with a life-threatening illness.
