Another deserving family’s wish was recently granted courtesy of a continuing partnership between Country Road RV and the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.
“We are super happy,” said mom Kelly Lower, who with her partner Emily Jackson are raising two daughters, Brynn Jackson, 9, and Piper Jackson, 8.
Originally from Alberta, the couple relocated for a time to Halifax, N.S., where Lower was stationed to serve a post with the RCMP.
Piper, who as a result of cerebral palsy cannot speak or walk, was only a few months old when her condition started to become apparent.
“We knew something was up about three months into her little life,” said Lower.
So after seven years with the RCMP, Lower submitted an application for a compassionate transfer, and joined the ranks of the Calgary Police Service about five years ago, she said, adding the move brought them back home to be closer to family.
Emily, meanwhile, completed her masters at the University of Calgary after starting her studies at Dalhousie University, and is now employed as a social worker with Cerebral Palsy Kids and Family.
Although Piper cannot verbally express herself, her parents have grown accustomed to reading and interpreting her emotions through facial expressions.
“She talks through her eyes, we know when she’s happy,” said Lower, who agrees with the expression that eyes are the windows to one’s soul.
“She loves being outdoors and being by a fire,” she said.
“We knew she loved camping — that’s why we chose the camper.”
However, big crowds and mascots are not exactly Piper’s cup of tea.
“Piper hates mascots — a trip to Disney would not be something she’d like,” said Lower, adding the eight-year-old would prefer to be out in nature any day of the week.
Additionally, having an RV will make a lifetime of memories possible, she said.
“We didn’t want a one-time shebang.”
Both of the sisters “couldn’t be more happy,” and their parents are “incredibly honoured” to be granted the wish, she said.
In her early 20s, Lower said she decided to donate the proceeds from the sale of her former landscaping company to the Children’s Wish Foundation, and that being a beneficiary all these years later feels as though everything came full circle.
And while the family previously had an RV, the unit was simply too cramped to comfortably house them, she said.
“We needed to get something that would accommodate her wheelchair.”
Now, the family is already counting down the days to their first of several trips planned for the summer in places near Edmonton, Cochrane as well as Kananaskis, she said.
While daily life can sometimes seem like a struggle, the family constantly strives to seek the silver lining while looking for opportunities to have fun and enjoy the time they have together, she said.
“We have fun every day.”
Lisa Root, Country Road RV assistant general manager, expressed joy at being able to be involved in the process with the Children's Wish Foundation.
"It's great to grant a little kid and their family a wish," she said, adding that seeing the sisters light up like bulbs as they toured the trailer "was super cool."
