Raising a kid can be expensive. There are diapers and formula when they are babies, and as they get older they get pickier about their toys and their clothes (not to mention you still need to feed them!). Plus, maybe there is a certain bike they want or there is a new Wii game that is out. And in this economy, buying any holiday gifts at all may be a difficult expense for some people. Needless to say, I was intrigued when the other day, a friend “invited” me to donate to her daughter Ashtyn’s bike fund through Facebook. 

What an interesting concept. If we can’t afford it, let’s ask our 450 Facebook friends to help us! I mean, raising a kid does take a village, right? Why not get that village to pitch in for a new bike? But Ashtyn’s bike is no ordinary bike. Ashtyn’s bike is a therapy bike. When she is riding it she is actually helping herself to get stronger. Whereas I paid $140 for my daughter’s bike (and could have paid way less if I went to Target or Walmart), Ashtyn’s therapy bike costs $3,431. I would guess that most kids with disabilities never have a bike they can call their own… and that’s too bad. I give her parents a lot of credit for giving this a shot. Why should Ashtyn only be able to ride a bike in her physical therapy office? She lives in Florida and should be able to get on that bike all year long to take it for a spin.

I cannot imagine the expenses that go along with caring for a child with disabilities. And, though I am pretty sure if you donate to this bike fund you can’t take the tax deduction, you can see exactly where your money is going!

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