Now that Ellie can sit unassisted, she went on carnival rides for the first time last summer. She loved the thrill of the wind in her hair. I can’t wait for her to ride a bike this summer. Thank you all for your support!

When I tell you that Ellie idolizes her sister Kaylee, I’m not kidding. Ellie asks where Kaylee is first thing every morning and wants to do EVERYTHING with her. We can’t wait to ride bikes this summer!

Playing with Legos is one of Ellie’s favorite things to do. We always bring a bag to specialist visits at the hospital to keep her entertained while we wait and talk with doctors.

I knew we had more photos of Ellie vs the Diet Coke when she was little. 😆

I once read that people with cerebral palsy have higher levels of fatigue, especially physically, because they have to exert more energy to perform tasks. Ellie was beyond exhausted after trying to keep up with her sister on the playground on Sunday.

One of the reasons I know Ellie will live her bike is because now that she had more balance she loves ride on toys. The problem is that they’re too small for her body now Don’t mind her leggings, she crawls through a pair every couple wears. 😳

Ellie celebrated reaching her fundraising goal by playing hide and seek.

Can you believe it!?! Ellie met her goal and is going to receive a Rifton Small Adaptive bike!! We went into the Great Bike Giveaway only asking people to vote for Ellie and hoped that by some small miracle she would earn enough votes to win a bike. We are forever grateful for the family, friends, and community that supported Ellie by voting and sharing her campaign. We truly never thought that there would be so many people who genuinely wanted Ellie to have this bike that they were willing to donate so she can have it. We are still at a loss for words that generous donors have fully funded her bike and she is now guaranteed to receive one. Thanks to EVERYONE who has pitched in to make this happen. Every vote, every share, every flyer posted, every contribution has put Ellie one step closer to her goal. It would have been impossible for Ellie to have this adaptive bike without your support. It feels like thank you is inadequate to describe our gratitude, but THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! While Ellie is elated that she will be able to ride her own bike, I think the person who is most excited is her older sister Kaylee. When we told Kaylee the great news after school she literally jumped up and down and was screaming at ear piercing volumes. Thank you for providing them with the opportunity to share this experience together. Kind regards, The Sweeney Family.

Today I waned to share a few photos of Ellie at her school. We are beyond fortunate that Ellie’s school and teacher are extraordinarily supportive, inclusive, and accommodating. Ellie absolutely LOVES going to school. (We adore the entire staff!)

While Ellie has both a wheelchair and walker to get around, she’s made so much progress this last year that she now only uses the wheelchair when she’s out and will require it for long distances. Otherwise her stamina and balance have improved so much that she now mainly uses the walker. At school she exclusively uses the walker. Ellie shows us daily that there is nothing she can’t do. Only things she can’t do YET. Our family motto is practice makes PROGRESS. Ellie isn’t afraid of hard work. She might not take the traditional path to get there, but she always finds her own way.

I’m always amazed at the relationship between Ellie and her older sister Kaylee. Kaylee is Ellie’s biggest cheerleader. Ellie idolizes Kaylee and I truly believe that playing with her big sister is her main motivation for making progress.

Some people have asked for a flyer they can share or post at their work. Every share and vote helps Ellie reach her goal! Thank you for being part of Ellie’s support team.

Kaylee and Ellie have an incredible bond and enjoy their daily dance parties.

So much has changed in 4 years. Ellie is now a thriving, loving, and silly 4 year old who loves to play.

Ellie isn’t so little anymore. She learns new things and surprises us every day. Everyone is dedicated to helping Ellie learn to walk. These bars were made by Pop Pop. She LOVES them.

Flashback to December 2020 when Ellie was just a week old and I finally got to hold her for the first time. She was only 1lb and 2oz. This was the first time we were able to hold her. She was so fragile back then. (She’s overcome so much!)