Chicagoland Special Spaces to Provide Bedroom Makeover for Bolingbrook Girl with Life-Threatening Illness

The following news release was submitted by Kathy Lohman, Fusion b2b

Special Spaces Chicagoland, a non-profit organization that creates dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical conditions, will be conducting a complete room makeover for 4-year old Kendall Atkinson of Bolingbook on Sept. 12 and 13. Kendall suffers from mitochondrial disease.

Kendall has been plagued with many of illnesses since birth and was eventually diagnosed with mitochondrial disease. She has battled aspiration pneumonias, UTI’s, hypotonia, dysautonomia along with a variety of smaller diagnoses. She has a mostly non-functional GI system, making essential tasks like eating a daily challenge. She has been hospitalized numerous times with serious infections and has fought through them like the warrior princess she is. Kendall has requested an Ariel themed room. Her loving and supportive family includes parents Terra and Ben Atkinson and sisters Kealey, Karissa and Kaylen. Kendall’s sisters will also receive mini room makeovers courtesy of Chicagoland Special Spaces.

To help complete makeovers, Special Spaces Chicagoland depends on donations from local businesses, groups and even other foundations. Kendall’s room makeover funding has been provided by many local donors. Supreme Courts in Aurora, IL held a fundraising dodgeball tournament and also provided a generous donation. Primrose School, Naperville also contributed funding. And finally, the Tall Grass neighborhood in South Naperville held a special garage sale and cocktail party with the proceeds going towards Kendall’s room.

Naperville resident Kelly Knox founded the Special Spaces Chicagoland chapter in 2012. Several ill children have gotten room makeovers this year and Knox has many more children waiting. The organization’s goal is to create dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical illnesses. The focus is answering one question:  Where does a child go when battling a serious illness to find peace and comfort?  A bedroom of course.  According to Knox, “A bedroom to most kids is a personal space—a place that represents his or her unique personality. For a child with a critical illness who spends a lot of time at home in his or her room, that room should be a very special space.  A place of comfort and refuge.  A place that inspires and gives hope.”

The Chicagoland chapter has several other room makeovers scheduled for children in need. Follow the progress on Facebook at “Special Spaces Chicagoland”.  For details about this special organization go to http://www.specialspaces.org.  For more information on how you can volunteer or make a donation, please contact kellyk@specialspaces.org.

Special Spaces National was founded in July 2004 on the precedent that children battling life-threatening illnesses need their own special space. This is a place of hope, inspiration and a special space to find peace and comfort. A Special Spaces, a 501 C (3) non-profit, has created hundreds of bedrooms across the country. It is the vision of our organization to have a Special Spaces Director everywhere there is a child in need.