Highlighted Charity

Joe is a 3-and-a-half year old living in Idaho with his parents, John, a fire captain , and his mother, Jill, a part-time loan officer.

On May 5th, 2006, 3 weeks before his 3rd birthday, Joe suffered a life threatening spinal aneurysm that left him a quadriplegic. He was airlifted to Children’s Hospital where he spent the next 3 months. Prior to the aneurism, which doctors say was caused by a rare circumstance where a group of blood vessels along the spinal column had grown together causing a rupture, he was perfectly healthy.

Although he was originally given a life expectancy of 5-years with no chance of improvement, Joe has now regained movement in his arms down to his wrists and has movement in his left thumb. He has limited ability to use his hands with the aid of a tenodesis grip that allows him to loosely hold marking pens and food. He gets around in an electric wheelchair and loves the speed. Doctors now disagree on his life expectancy and think it likely he will have a normal life span.

Joe’s family would like to give him the opportunity to be part of an amazing rehabilitation program at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Kennedy Krieger is an internationally recognized facility that is dedicated to treating pediatric developmental disabilities through cutting-edge research, education and rehabilitation. Its faculty is comprised of some of the world’s leading experts in this field. They have helped others in Joe’s situation regain use of their limbs through activity based restoration therapy and had helped Christopher Reeves regain use of his hands prior to his death. Joe’s family would like to give him this opportunity to live a normal, healthy life.


Estimates for the cost of Joe’s initial treatments at Kennedy Krieger come to about $50K. This is not covered by insurance. Just recently the family learned that Joe's routine physical therapy is also no longer covered by insurance and they will be paying out of pocket.



Family and friends have organized a series of grassroots fundraising events in Seattle such as a cake walk, Cinco de Mayo event, an urban rummage sale and a benefit concert.

We are asking the community to help us help Joe and his family with his medical costs.


Contributions can be sent to:
Seattle’s Bravest Charity
517 2nd Ave W
Seattle, WA
98119
* please include "Morrison Fund" in the line item section of your check*

For more information about this cause please contact Sara Morrison at:

Sarahmo@vulcan.com or 206-972-6448