Our Story
Ellavation was created after the birth of our founder and president’s daughter Ella.
In 2018, The Fajardo Family learned the value of support when Ashley’s husband, Joel, became a victim of a violent crime and was shot on his way home from work. That bullet led to multiple surgeries and near-fatal complications, but with the help of their friends and family, the family weathered the storm.
In 2019, the family was excited to find out that they were pregnant with their third child, Ella.
During a routine ultrasound, the family found out she had a severe form of Spina Bifida. This rare birth defect introduced them to a new set of challenges. Ella's diagnosis led them to make tough decisions, including in-utero surgery where she was born at just 25 weeks and spent her first half-year of life in the hospital.
Though their journey was filled with ups and downs, the support they received from their community kept them going. After spending nearly $20,000 in out-of-pocket expenses in Ella’s first 6 months of life alone, the family soon realized how complex of a diagnosis Spina Bifida is and how large of a financial impact extra medical needs could be.
Over the next few years, the list of expenses compiled and the family found it difficult to enjoy the things they once did after the financial changes around having a child with Spina Bifida became their day to day. The family learned that sometimes asking for help is necessary, and basic quality time at home can be disrupted by the challenges families like theirs face.
After joining support groups and seeing the toll that having a child with a chronic complex disability can have on the family unit, Ashley decided something needed to be done.
Their personal struggles highlighted the impact on quality time and the overall quality of life at home. Ashley writes, “Having a child with extra medical needs is stressful enough. All families should be able to enjoy basic quality of life things. However, when a family is faced with thousands of dollars in medical bills, equipment needs, and expensive childcare costs, there is rarely anything extra.”
Ellavation aims to address these challenges by providing support to families facing similar situations.
The family has been able to see God’s hands working over the last few years. Ellavation is Ashley and Joel's way of being an army of support for families navigating these challenges.
Created in a garage during the peak of the Covid 19-pandemic, Ellavation has increased its board members and looks forward to growing and helping families in need!
Ellavation gives the opportunity for all of us to love and support families who have been impacted by Spina Bifida. These families need support. Any donation can be a huge help and can help make a lasting impact for a family!
To hear more of Ella’s story, follow her on Facebook by searching “Ella’s Life”