I just wanted to tell you about just a few of the kids we helped since our last golf outing. Makiah is a year younger than I am. When she was 5, she was diagnosed with severe JIA after a delay in diagnosis. Last year, Makiah was preparing for her second hip replacement at age 11. She had spent months in the hospital instead of at home with her family because their apartment wasn’t handicap accessible.

After a very long time on a waitlist, her family was approved for handicapped Section 8 housing, but they only had a week to come up with the security deposit, or the apartment would go to the next person on the waitlist. Abby’s Army received the application for assistance the afternoon before the security deposit was due. My mom and I drove to Philly the next morning. I was able to meet Makiah and give her my book, and my mom handed the security deposit to Makiah’s mom.