Jessica D

Through his great strength of character, Anthony has proven doctors wrong and used Bounce as a tool to enjoy his childhood.

“Nobody has the same journey, and it’s so cool to see everybody come together. It’s so nice to meet other people and see we’re not so different.”

All kids want to feel normal, but chronic illness can complicate that. Thanks to Bounce children have a place where they can enjoy childhood. Jessica, mother to 7-year-old Anthony knows this from experience.

“He’s the happiest kid ever, we just let him run with other kids and he’ll tell us when he needs to take a break. You don’t want your kids to think they’re different.” Jessica says, her devotion to Anthony shining. “It’s so nice to be around other people that are similar outside of a hospital. It’s really neat when you’re at a Bounce Bash® and see these kids with different challenges; no one has the same journey.”

Every child’s journey is different, and Anthony’s story shows his perseverance and strength. “Anthony was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 6 and his doctors told us he’d never walk. He had a walker until he was 3 ½ and his teacher told us he was doing tricks on it in the hallway! He wears braces on his feet and legs up to his knees because of his Kyphosis, and has Strabismus, known as lazy eye. It was so hard in the beginning, but things have really calmed down now.”

Overall, Bounce has had a phenomenal impact on Anthony. “There has been a big difference for Anthony just seeing there are other children who have to go to the doctor too, or even a wheelchair. Everyone smiles, and it’s not an upsetting day of going to tests. Joan picks great people to work with!”