THE M.O.R.G.A.N. PROJECT, INC.
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA

The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project was established to help these amazing people do just that! MISSION “Our mission is to provide the tools for a therapeutic and fun experience to children with physical and developmental needs.” We have responded to many hundreds of requests for pediatric adaptive and positional equipment through our Pediatric Disability Equipment Exchange Program that was instituted in early 2006. Through this program we have successfully matched donated items from families that no longer have a use for these items with families that have a demonstrated need. The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project provides the shipping of donated equipment from the donor and to the recipient at to the families, and provides a tax receipt for the donations. Typical items processed through this program include bath chairs, gait trainers, walkers, car seats, feeder chairs, lightweight adaptive strollers and various medical supplies. considered medically necessary by insurance and Medicaid, but that can make a huge impact on the parent’s ability to be the safest caregiver and best advocate for their child that they can be. This program varies from year to year based on available funding, but has previously included providing bath chairs, car seats, lightweight portable adaptive strollers, positional seating devices, switch activated toys, vestibular stimulation, and similar items to children under the age of 18 with lifetime physical disabilities. We have also offered a limited number of families with financial assistance to help offset the cost to attend family oriented, disease-specific medical support group conferences for the first time, in order to network with other families in the same situation. Myelin, sometimes referred to as “white matter” because of its white, fatty appearance, protects and insulates the axons. It consists of a protective sheath of many different molecules that include both lipids (fatty molecules) and proteins. This protective sheath acts in a manner very similar to that of the protective insulation that surrounds an electric wire; that is, it is necessary for the rapid transmission of electrical signals between neurons. It does this primarily by containing the electrical molecules within the axon so that they are all properly transmitted to the next neuron. With the protective myelin coat, neurons can transmit signals at speeds up to 60 meters per second. When the coat is damaged, the maximum speed can decrease by ten-fold or more, since some of the signal is lost during transmission. This decrease in speed of signal transmission leads to significant disruption in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease Leukodystrophy (PMD) is a generally nonprogressive, X-linked disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). This means it most often occurs in boys. It is caused by a duplication of or other mutation in the proteolipid protein gene (PLP). Proteolipid protein is the chief protein of the myelin sheaths of the CNS nerve cells. In its more severe form the disease leads to infirmity and, soon after the beginning of the symptoms, to death. The M.O.R.G.A.N Project Mission “Our mission is to provide the tools for a therapeutic and fun experience to children with physical and developmental needs. We do this through our 5 unique Quality of Life support programs and volunteer outreach.” Making a Difference You can make a difference too for families of medically fragile children with disabilities! Make a tax-deductible donation, volunteer, hold a fundraiser, or even help us every time you shop online or simply surf the web. Dear Friends, Clients and Supporters: It is with great sadness that we report that Morgan’s Place has suffered extensive damage due to fire, smoke and soot. We had a fire in the building yesterday. The great news is that NO ONE was in the building and no one was hurt!!! The initial report is that we were very fortunate and repairs to the building itself will be moderate but not catastrophic. The entire building was exposed for nearly 12 hours to heavy volumes of black smoke and soot, however, and the the entire contents have extensive damage as a result. All activities at Morgan’s Place have been suspended indefinitely until we know better what we are dealing with. As we move forward with cleanup and rebuilding we will most definitely have needs for referrals for services and will be reaching out to all of you for assistance as we discover these needs - and of course we will need lots of good old fashioned manpower at some point!!!! We will be sure to follow up with additional information as we have it, and we ask that you keep our organization in your thoughts and prayers as we deal with this devastating loss. We have no doubt that our small charity will rise from the ashes, and will rebuild bigger and better to continue to serve the children we love. As always, thank you for your continued support!! For the kids, Kristen Malfara, Founder & Executive Director On behalf of all of us here at The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project, I sincerely thank you for the outpouring of support and offers of assistance that Tonya and I have a received over the last two days. Our days have been filled with meetings with insurance adjusters, and restoration companies but we for the first time this afternoon are beginning to feel optimistic about the future of Morgan's Place. Hearing from friends and strangers alike, having the media get the word out about our needs, and the parents of the children that we so love stepping up to help us during this time is extremely heartwarming. We will post updates as things progress, but we have been told to prepare for a lengthy process and anticipate resuming our operations no earlier than this fall. One of our clients has started a fund raiser to help us offset the costs in the interim, for those expenses that won't be covered by insurance. As always, even a small donation can make a big difference ❤️ For the kids, Kristen