The Eastman Family

Picture a beautiful, sensitive 15-year-old girl, dressed for dance class, sporting a gorgeous bow in her hair. Now, picture her being twirled rhythmically in her wheelchair while her proud mom looks on. The dance class is Dancing Beyond Limits, or DBL — a program designed to challenge young girls with special needs to move beyond their physical or developmental limits. Now imagine proud mom Kathy Eastman, overworked and tired from multiple trips to Omaha, where her tiny dancer Addison is currently recovering from surgery. Kathy Richter, Addison’s “buddy” at Dancing Beyond Limits, nominated Kathy for a Magic Moment because this supermom deserves some special love this season for her dedication to providing exceptional care for her daughter. UBT agreed!

A bond of love

Addison is wheelchair-bound and nonverbal due to a rare condition. Kathy is a single mom who works full-time, but still takes amazing care of Addison, who has had special needs since birth. Kathy attends as many of Addison’s DBL events as she can, gets her to and from all necessary appointments, and always makes sure Addison looks her best — complete with matching hair accessories. Addison required surgery in Omaha in May for a permanent tracheotomy to help her breathe. She made a great recovery, but now requires a nurse to provide care when she is home. As the pandemic has resulted in a serious shortage of nurses, Kathy has not yet been able to obtain the care Addison requires to be able to leave the hospital. Kathy travels to Omaha multiple times a week to visit Addison and to obtain training on her home care. Weekends find her hanging out at the hospital with Addison; this special pair don’t like to be separated, and this has been a long, hard stretch. When she can’t be with her mom, Addison loves to hear her voice, and not having a phone in the room makes it tough unless a nurse is able to help out.

Kathy Richter, Kathy’s nominator, painted such a beautiful picture of this family. She pushes Addison around in her wheelchair at the dance classes and recitals, requesting not to trade off to other students, as is the practice, but to stay with Addison because of the bond they have formed. She has so much admiration and respect for Kathy E. and felt she was deserving of some recognition for all that she does to provide her daughter with the best life possible, especially after the year they’ve had.

Just spending time together

Above all, Kathy and Addison enjoy being together. To make communicating easier when they’re apart, UBT arranged for a Samsung tablet for Addison and an Echo Show for Kathy. Addison will also receive a case and headphones for her tablet, an Echo Studio speaker for easy listening at home, a sensory pad for her wheelchair activity table, and a nail polish set in her favorite pink tones.

The Magic Moments team felt that Kathy was due for a bit a pampering, too, so she’ll receive a spa day and a bottle of Burberry perfume. Practical items for their new home were also in order, so UBT arranged for a new set of cookware for Kathy and gift cards to At Home and Home Depot. We also partnered with Scheels for gift cards to help with clothing for Addison, as well as Super C to offset the gas expenses from all those trips to Omaha. Thanks to generous donations, the family will receive a yearly pass to the Lincoln Children's Zoo and tickets to a Lied Center show of their choosing once Addison comes home (which we hope is soon).

Kathy and Addison, UBT wishes you all things bright and beautiful this season, and we hope all your holiday wishes come true!