New Lenox Boy, 7, Chosen To Receive Adaptive Bike In Holiday Giveaway

NEW LENOX, IL — A New Lenox mom would love nothing more than to see her son ride bikes with other kids.

Austin Kozlowski's special needs, though, make that simple childhood joy seem just out of reach.

Austin has schizencapahaly, a rare congenital brain malformation that causes abnormal clefts to form in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Austin is non-verbal, and wheelchair-bound. The condition develops in utero, Kozlowski said, and it took some time to diagnose. Mom Jeanine Kozlowski and her husband Justin adopted Austin one day after his birth.

Kozlowski has become an advocate for Austin and other area children with special needs—and in this case, reached out to an organization called Project Mobility in hopes of securing a bike that would be fitted for Austin's needs and specifications.

Entirely paid for through donations, Austin will receive his bike. Donations can be made through the Project Mobility website, or through a GoFundMe.

Founded by The Bike Shop owner Hal Honeyman, Project Mobility's mission is to provide the freedom of mobility to children, adults and wounded soldiers with disabilities through adaptive cycling. These adaptive bikes are not covered by insurance and can average $6,000. Most families can't afford this, let alone a family with endless medical bills, said Katherine Reda, from Project Mobility.

Each year, Project Mobility hosts a holiday adaptive bike giveaway, selecting six applicants to receive their own bike. The campaign is entirely donation-based, and relies on fundraising efforts to cover the cost of providing the bikes—this year with a goal of $35,000.

"We raise funds throughout the holiday season to give each one of the children in our campaign their very own adaptive bikes," Reda said. "We use the power of social media to share the campaign, we also ask the families in it to do so as well."

Honeyman also taps into past donors to reach their goal.

"Some years it takes a month or two, and others it has taken up to 6 months but we always get everyone in the campaign a bike," Reda said.

Donations can be made through their website, or through a GoFundMe.

Along with Austin, this year's recipients include Danielle, 29, a Homer Glen woman with Down syndrome; Averie, a Shorewood 10-year-old recovering from a stroke; Kennedy, a Joliet 6-year-old with Muscular Dystrophy; Nicholas, a Marengo 6-year-old who was born as a micro preemie and is developmentally delayed; and Lalah, a Lansing 12-year-old with cerebral palsy and congenital glaucoma. Meet all the recipients here.

The Holiday Adaptive Bike Giveaway is an extension of the Adaptive Bike Giveaway. It began in 2009 with a 10-year-old-girl named Riley. One Christmas, Riley asked for no presents, but instead asked for donations for an adaptive bike for a child in need. Riley raised $12,000, Reda said.

Project Mobility will provide the service, resources and funding for adaptive bicycles. They travel to host our "Adaptive Bike Days" which are usually held at hospitals, therapy centers, schools, bringing with them a trailer full of adaptive bikes. The staff fits participants for a bike, and they can enjoy it for the day.

The concept is close to Kozlowski's heart. Last year, she founded nonprofit Advocates for Acceptance in an effort to make activities and equipment more inclusive for children with special needs. Funds raised for the organization cannot be funneled directly to Austin, she said, and must be used for the organization's overall mission.

In hopes of securing a bike for Austin, she applied for the giveaway.

"If you have ever had the chance to meet Austin, you know that incredible smile he is famous for," his mother wrote in his entry. "A smile that is a constant expression of who he is even in the thick of it all, school, therapies, doctor appointments, equipment fittings, AFO's and hand splints. His daily life is unlike most others.

"... His entire day is spent working. Working to hold his head up, hold his body up, control his body. All with a smile on his face. .... Austin may be different in some ways from most kids but one thing he wants just like any other kid is to be included. Not just sit and watch while his peers play and have fun, riding bikes or playing on a playground, but to be a part of it and get to experience the same joy."

Though the price point is dautning, she longs for him to feel the freedom the bike would bring.

"The bikes are not cheap," she said. "It’s hard to keep up with everything he needs."

She was surprised—and grateful—to see Austin chosen as a recipient.

"I really didn’t think we would get chosen, so it was really nice to be," she said."I’m excited he’ll be able to ride a bike.

"Every kid deserves to ride a bike."