An Oshawa father is urgently calling on community support to help bridge a critical funding gap for his eight-year-old son’s specialized therapy.
Daniel Andreas, the organizer of a recently launched GoFundMe campaign, is hoping to raise $11,500 to ensure his son Daniel Jr. (DJ) can continue accessing the daily therapy that has significantly improved his quality of life.
DJ, who was born five weeks premature with bilateral clubfoot, has undergone multiple surgeries and now walks and runs like other children his age. However, his more significant challenge has been living with Level 3 Autism. He is non-verbal and has experienced long periods of developmental disruption due to inconsistent access to therapy, said an appeal on GoFundMe.
“For a long time, we struggled to get the help DJ needed,” said Andreas, who has raised his son alone without outside support. “But over the past year, he’s finally been receiving consistent, specialized therapy five days a week—and the difference it’s made is unbelievable.”
According to Andreas, DJ has made major progress, including learning to use the toilet independently and beginning to communicate through assistive technology. The therapy has also reduced frustration and allowed DJ to express his needs more clearly.
However, funding from the Ontario government to support DJ’s therapy is not scheduled to begin until the end of July. Andreas says he cannot afford to cover the cost for May, June, and most of July out of pocket, and fears his son could lose his spot at the therapy center—something that took eight months to secure.
“Stopping therapy would be devastating,” Andreas wrote. “In the past, breaks have led to painful regression in DJ’s development. We can’t afford to lose the progress he’s made.”
The fundraiser is live on GoFundMe, where Andreas is appealing to the public to help keep his son’s care uninterrupted during this crucial time.
To support DJ’s therapy, donations can be made on the GoFundMe page.
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