Books For Blessings is helping a family here in town who’s son has received a recent diagnosis with Muscular Dystrophy. As you can imagine, this young family is going to face pretty substantial medical bills. We are asking for communities to step up and help raise funds for little William.
- Will's Story
- Pray for the Lekos
- Financial Needs
- Donate via GoFundMe
- Donate New Books
- Book Sale Campaign Totals
William's Story
William, our kind-hearted, laid back, easy loving two year old has been diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. The doctor believes it to be Duchenne, but we won’t know the exact diagnosis until we get our genetics test back around Christmas Day. At this time we are asking for a miracle & that God would heal our son's body.
While we don't yet know exactly how we're going to attack this disease, we do know that we're going to face it head on. We are going to do it together as a family, and we are going to need support along the way.
There are new treatments available such as Exon Skipping that are extremely promising, but also very costly. Our goal is to do everything in our power to give our son the best possible treatment to give him the life that he deserves.
If you can donate that would be amazing, but if not, we ask that you please pray that God would grant us this miracle. Please feel free to share our story as many times as you would like, to as many people as you would like. Thank you all so much. We are truly grateful for each and every one of you! May God continue to do his work and bless us all.
Corporate Prayer Is Powerful
As Christians we are called to speak Truth boldly at the darkness. Regardless of how long we have been a Christian, praying with other people outloud can be awkward. Jesus says in Matthew 18:19-20
"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on Earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
We also have the assurance that when we don't even know what to pray, that the Holy Spirit intervenes on our behalf. In Romans 8:26, Paul writes:
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
The simple fact is we are all trying to get our heads around this enormous financial burden for this family. Therefore, since we are to pray in one accord with each other, we encourage you to pray daily - outloud, with at least one other person. If you don't have a prayer, or don't know how to pray, just read along silently.
Heavenly Father,
We come to you humble and broken, acknowledging that you are the creator of the Universe and that you love us beyond measure. We are thankful that your son, Jesus Christ, suffered, was crucified on a cross and died, was burried, and resurrected for the forgiveness of sins so that all who believe shall not perish but have ever lasting life.
Father, we ackowledge that Jesus is both our Lord and our Savior, as it must be both on Earth and in heaven. We praise you for the mercy you continually cast onto our lives, even when we are unaware or blind of your grace.
We thank you for the patience you continue to show to us and forgiveness you are willing to provide for every sin that we commit and even the sins of ommission or the sins we don't even know we have committed. Forgive us now and purify our hearts so that our requests can be heard.
Lord you have taught us that if our faith is small as a mustard seed and we tell a mountain to move, then it shall be done. We pray for the Leko family and the coming financial mountain they face. We are asking that you use this tragic situation to let your Grace, Love and Mercy shine on your children. We are asking that you lead us in this financial battle so that we can walk in your secure footprints where hundreds if not thousands of people will see our faith in the face of adversity. It is our hope that you will be glorified and that you open doors for us to share the Gospel with the people who are making donations out of the goodness of their hearts. Your name will be spoken across this great land.
Please provide us with a financial miracle and either let the financial situation completely disappear, or allow us to work hard and raise the money through your generous and loving children.
Dear Lord we pray that you will lift up the Leko family with your righteous right hand and cover them and bless them. Hold them near to your heart. Calm the storm that is raging within them. Extend the hand to them and pull them out of the high waves, Father. May their waters be calm and clear as they move forward.
We pray for little William that you completely heal his body. Deliever unto him a full cure of mind, body, and spirit, if it is according to your will. You are a loving God who takes pleasure in doing great things. And you remind us to not forget your promises. Jesus promised your children that when two or more people are gathered in His name and we ask, the prayers will be heard and it is promised that you will fulfill our requests. Remember this promise, now, Lord.
Hear our prayers, Father. In all things that we don't even know what to say, lsten to the groans of the Spirit so that you can understand the pain in our hearts and the imense needs we don't yet know fully how to express.
We pray that you will also hold up all of the volunteers and keep them strong and healthy as we stand in the gap for the Leko family as we are human and depend completly on you for our existence.
We pray that William see the outpouring of love and that you move across this land, softening the hearts of man to help. Provide us a miracle, dear Lord.
It is through the name of Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen
Weekly Physical Therapy
Will needs 7 Therapy Sessions per week- [ 1 qty ] Occupational Therapy
- [ 2 qty ] Physical Therapy
- [ 2 qty ] Speech Therapy
- [ 2 qty ] Water Therapy
Will is fighting full time - no days off. Over the course of a year, 52 weeks, that is 364 total therapy sessions needed. Insurance pays for 60 therapy sessions, leaving the family with 304 sessions to cover. Sessions range from $100 to $150 in cost, so picking the average of $125 per session, the family has a real therapy cost of
$38,000
strong>This is the ANNUAL physical therapy costs they have to cover.
VECTORR Therapy (Interferential Current Therapy)
VECTTOR Therapy is a form of electro-stimulation based upon acupuncture, reflexology, physiology, cellular physiology, and anatomy designed to stimulate the nerves to produce certain neuropeptides essential for optimal functioning of the body. These neuropeptides are vital for increasing circulation to the skin, bones nerves, muscles, and for reducing oxidative stress. The VECTTOR system is designed to read feedback from the body via skin surface temperatures, throughout the treatment process.
$5,000
Initial Durable Medical Needs
Durable Medical Equipment is a necessity. This is just a starter list which will grow over time.
- AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthosis Braces) ------- $300 - $500
- Sure Step Orthotics (SMO) -------- $800 - $1,000
- KiddieGAIT Orthotics ------- $800 - $1,000
- Amtryke Early Intervention Tricycle ------- $850
$3350 (starting)
Remember that wheelchairs can run into five figures. Then there may be a bed, lift and other items to make their lives just a little bit easier so they can focus on being the best parents possible.
Travel Expenses
Travel & Lodging Expenses (Nationwide Children's Hospital)
$500 - $1,000 (1st Year)
Genetic Testing
Carrier Genetics DMD Test For Baylee ------- $500 - $5,000 (Depending on if insurance decides to cover)
DMD Genetics Test ------- $450
$5450
Bless the Leko family today with a financial gift or a gift of books we can sell and turn into cash.
Cash is needed
Take a few moments to look at the financial needs of the famly. We can't even really get our head around something this expensive. Open your pocket books and wallets and give to this family. We are called by God to take care of those who have needs and this is a massive need. Show your love as you can. Start campaigns at your places of employment and churches. See if they will do matching, or partial matching funds. Kyle and Baylee manage their own GoFundMe account but we are embedding it here for easy donations.
Books In New Condition Have Untapped Financial Blessings
Go through your books. If it's in new condition we will take it. We will sell it and send the proceeds onto the Lekos. The trick to helping the family through book sales is that the books you donate must be in new condition. Damaged books do us no good and use valuable processing time when we could be listing new books to sell. Please refer to our book guidelines at the top of the website for more information and guidance on your donations to the family. Rememer, Books For Blessings is still classified a for-profit business so there is no way we can give you a donation letter at this time. Please give as God moves you. We only keep $0.35 for each book sold to help cover our shipping supply costs and a few admin costs to be able to conduct business.
How to get books to us
- If you are local to Maryville, TN, we can make an arrangement to meet you or pickup the books.
- If you are local but do not want to meet, or you are out of town, pack your books carefully in a box and send to our address shown here:
Books For Blessings
ATTN Will Leko Fund #BFBWPL
1846 SouthCliff Drive
Maryville TN 37803
Ship the books via USPS media mail as it is the cheapest way. Please pack the books carefully and don't ship in a box larger than 16" x 16" x 16" or over 70 pounds.
More Efficient Ways to Get Books to Donate
- Ask your friends, family members, and neighbors to help out. Then tell them to ask their friends etc...
- If you own a business, start a book drive.
- If you work at a business, ask your HR department if they would like to have a book drive. We are happy to help guide you through the process of collecting books and actually gamifying the collection so that it's even more fun. We can track who donated books down to the penny. Contact us for more information.
Trust Through Transparency
Books for Blessings will be posting updates to our total shown below every two weeks as we process payments to the family. Come back and see how your generous book gifts are benefiting Will and his treatments. Thank you again for your support.
Campaign Start Date
December 11, 2018
Book Sales Totals
2019 $1705.292020 $3305.35
2021 $2883.76 (to date)