A Cure for Cabin Fever 

Rosalee's dad describes his daughter as "a ball of joy." She always has a big smile on her face and loves to laugh and jump and will dance all day long. "She's strong," wish dad Mark says. "I've watched her go through a lot." 

Rosalee was diagnosed with a nervous system disorder at just three months old. She is non-verbal, has regular seizures, and her body does not regulate its temperature. This makes outings with her family difficult. Rosalee loves to be outdoors though. She likes to play in sand, blow bubbles, and splash around in water. She likes to swing and slide, and she likes to run. However, she cannot tolerate direct exposure to sun for long. It can trigger a seizure. 

Her family has tried hard to make their backyard Rosalee-friendly. They put up a couple of shade sails to provide extra protection, but the wind tends to whip those around, so they are only a help some of the time. There was a cement pad in their yard, but it was small and cracked and it didn’t fit much more than a table. 

"Being able to just come outside is something that I think most people don't have to think about when they have small children," said wish mom Robyn. 

Rosalee wished for a backyard oasis, a safe space where she could play. Contractors came out and poured a large and spacious concrete pad, big enough for the family to gather and relax with enough room for Rosalee to dance, romp, and hang out. Once the concrete was installed, the team at Fox Heating and Cooling assembled a sizable pergola that would provide enough shade to safeguard Rosalee from the sun. 

Sitting in the new shaded backyard oasis, Robyn said "[that she was excited about] The possibilities of us just being able to come outside and do typical parent-and-child things as opposed to having to stay in the house all the time. We kind of get cabin fever. Being able to be outside, event if to just to sit in one spot, will be nice."

"Having shade for her really helps. It's nice us all being outside together," Mark said.