Update on Andrew! Please vote for him too!

Hi everybody! I wanted to give you all an update. Andrew has been doing a little better. He has had a few set backs in the past month. He did get fitted and received his new wheelchair. Angie snapped a photo of him in it. I am posting it below. I love this picture. He is smiling. I love to see him smile!
Andrew also had a birthday!! He turned 19 years old last month. Angie and Bob got him a pizza and with your donations they were able to purchase him a tablet so he can communicate with them now. I will post pics of him using it when I can. He was so excited about it too. Thank you all for the donations coming in. They are working on getting housing. They have money saved up from donations as well and Bob is working when he is not helping Angie with Drew too. They haven't been able to find housing yet. Read below for more about this topic. They also are trying to get a handicapped accessible van.  In their hometown there is a contest to win one and Angie has entered Andrew into it. This would truly be a HUGE help to them if he wins. As you know, they are still trying to raise money to move to an apartment that will accommodate Andrew and a van to get him to and from doctor visits. They really need to win this. I have been voting and sharing on facebook. It only takes a minute to vote. You don't have to make an account or anything. You just fill out the survey in the top right and click vote. If you answer the question correctly, you get an extra vote. Please take a minute to vote and share on facebook, pinterest, and twitter. The more people that see this, the better chance they have at winning. Thank you in advance to all those that have already voted. It means alot to the family to have your support. 

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/andrew-allen-pittsburgh-pa/

They have received a few donations from people here. They are so grateful for all they have received. Thank you sooo very much! They are still needing more donations so share the blog url on Facebook too. So far, they have purchased a tablet for Andrew with some of the donations they received and are saving the rest to pay for housing and a van, if they don't win the contest. The tablet is helping him communicate with people. He is really enjoying it. I will post pictures of him using it soon so check back often! All the donations received are for Andrew only. He really appreciates all that has been done/donated to help him. He has such a big heart. 

He will be released from the Children's Institute in about 8 more weeks. Angie has had a very hard time finding housing for them to move to. They have not been approved where they are living now for Andrew to come home because they live in a 2nd floor apartment. She has contacted every agency she can think of to help with no luck. Here is an explanation of what she is going through and what all she has done. She posted this on her facebook so I thought I would share it here. If you know of any organization that can help them, please contact Angie as soon as possible. She does not want Andrew to have to go to a nursing home.

Note from Andrew's mom. She posted this on facebook. If you know where they can find help, Please email me @ kberlie68@yahoo.com. I will get you in contact with her asap. They are running out of time. 8 weeks will be here before we know it.

"my son Andrew never had a enemy. He was a friend to everyone he met. At only 18 yrs. old he worked 3 jobs & was planning on attending CCAC next fall. He was the type of kid that would bring home total strangers to sneak into our basement to sleep if they had no where else to go. When my husband gets no construction work, Andrew always came though with the bill money. No complaints, just a great kid everyone loved. He always had a smile on his face & a great attitude even though losing his dad at age 10 who he was extremely close to. On December 4,2012 our lives changed forever. While at a friends apartment he fell 20 plus feet on to the concrete landing on his head back & neck. Blood was pouring from his ears, eyes, mouth & nose. He was rushed to UPMC Presbyterian hospital, where we were told he probably wouldn't make it. He had hours of surgery. 15 hours brain surgery plus hours of neck surgery where they replaced his neck bones with a titanium cage. He did make it. Thank God but was left a complete quadriplegic. He has no movement below his shoulders except to bend his elbows inward. He is what is called a c-5 quadriplegic. He lives with a trach tube implanted in his neck to clear secretions. He's also on a ventilator to breath for him. But his mind is totally fine except for some minor short term memory loss. He spent 5 weeks in ICU, & is now in the children's institute for spinal cord injuries. Our huge problem is for 4 months we have been looking for housing & absolutely nothing. I have called every agency I can find. All the disabled housing & high rises have a 1-4 year waiting list. I have contacted Easter seals, United Way, Disability Resources of PA, Urban League, all the housing authorities. 30 churches.catholic charities, salvation army, Red Cross, Christopher Reeves Foundation, the list is endless. I'm on Craigslist every day. We now live on 2nd floor & Andrew will go to a nursing home unless we find suitable housing which cannot happen. He's my only child & the love of my life. We have money saved & are not asking for any handouts at all. We are willing to pay full rent & also my husband is a licensed electrician contractor, & licensed in heating & air & will do all free work on top of rent for properties. We are down to 9 wks. to find a place. We need a 2 bedroom 1st floor apt. or a ranch style home with no stairs which has been impossible to find. Please save my sons life, he will die in a nursing home. Please help us bring Andrew home. You are my last hope. Thank you so much, sincerely, Angela Allen"



Andrew's new chair. 

Andrew's birthday