Claire’s Wish Story (Reprinted with permission) is one example of how your car (recycle-ready, or a good candidate for auction) can have a lasting impact on the cause you care about.

It was Christmas day over three years ago, that Claire’sbrother Noah needed to see a doctor for flu-like symptoms that he had been experiencing. Thinking that Claire was likely to catch whatever he had, parents, Amber and Davor, decidedto have Claire seen by the doctor as well.

Little did they realize at the time that Noah would be just fine, and that they would spend the next week and a half in the hospital with Claire, who by all accounts appeared healthy but had low oxygen saturation levels. Expecting her to be gasping for air, or showing symptoms that would explain the low oxygen levels, the doctors were baffled. And so began the search for answers. Through rigorous testing, which included everything
from blood samples, x-rays, CT scans, and ultimately a lung biopsy surgery in May 2011, doctors finally had a conclusive answer as to what was affecting Claire’s little lungs.

Affectionately known as “Clairebear”, four year old Claire was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI), a very rare childhood interstitial lung disease of which there are roughly 500 cases identified world-wide. In very basic terms, the disease inhibits the lung’s ability to undergo gas exchange, causing hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood), which in turn causes faster breathing and respiratory distress. Due to the lack of oxygen, children with NEHI generally experience developmental delays. Sadly, there are no known medicines or treatments to cure the disease – only indefinite oxygen therapy to combat the effects of hypoxemia.

Claire has been on 24/7 oxygen since that fateful Christmas day. Luckily, she is showing no cognitive or physical developmental delays. Like most little girls she loves her dollies, pretty outfits, and chasing her brother Noah around, except she’s got an oxygen tube following her wherever she goes.

Your vehicle donation dollars add up for Canadian charities like the Children’s Wish Foundation!

When it came time to choose her wish, Disney World was the perfect fit. Claire spent an entire week meeting all her favorite Disney Princesses and even received a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! Claire’s mom Amber said that week brought an immeasurable amount of joy to Claire that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Thank you for the role you play in supporting families like Claire’s when you give a car to the Canadian charities of your choosing!

The post Claire’s Story | How One Car Makes a Difference appeared first on Donate A Car.

February symbolizes so many things on the calendar, not just Valentine’s Day. In North America it’s also known as the worst month of the year for mental health because of the weather we experience and the affect it has on us. Heart and Stroke associations use this month to focus on the well-being of our physical hearts and our cardiovascular health.

Your Health in Balance

It’s interesting that those three things can intertwine and impact us completely: our mind, our emotions and our health. It’s actually a good reminder that to live fully we need to look after all aspects of our lives. With the busyness we are accustomed to, comes the tendency to think imbalance is okay. Truth be told, if one area is out of whack it is inevitable that it will affect all other areas.

At Donate A Car Canada, our quest is to support you, our donors, in facilitate your giving process through the sale or recycling of your vehicle. With those funds, causes like The Distress Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, women’s shelters and dozens of other charities are helped every month to ensure we and those we love have the best possible chance of leading our best lives – happy, healthy and whole.

Heart and soul

We never, ever underestimate the value of every dollar raised, and as each year passes we are so grateful for our part in spreading the love across our Nation, to help those who may not otherwise be able to help themselves.

As much as we know love isn’t attached to a dollar figure, we do know that dollars make a difference.  You may not have a ton of money in the bank, but maybe your car can add value to others by donating it.

What is love then? Some say it is the act of giving when you know the other person cannot give in return.

In what’s left of this month, let’s try to demonstrate ‘love’ more fully, reduce stress levels and increase the serotonin we all need by:

• Extending patience
• Showing kindness
• Thinking the best of others (and maybe even ourselves!)
• Give credit to others, recognize accomplishments
• Let go of petty differences
• Forgive
• Stay hopeful
• Never give up

Let’s see how that works in making a dent in the world we experience!

The post Heart Health: What is Love Anyway? appeared first on Donate A Car.