Matty is a bright and beautiful 3-year-old from Springfield, MO, who has overcome more in his short life than most of us will in a lifetime. Born 10 weeks early and weighing just over 2.5 pounds, Matty spent the first six months of his life on a ventilator in the hospital. His early start came with many challenges, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), chronic lung disease of prematurity, and congenital respiratory abnormalities. Matty has always worked hard to reach his milestones, but ongoing developmental delays and low muscle tone (hypotonia) continue to make daily life more difficult for him. In 2024, he was also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 3, meaning he requires very substantial support across all areas of life. One of Matty’s biggest challenges is nighttime safety. Like many children with autism, he wakes frequently during the night and tries to roam. He is an eloper and at high risk of falling. As he grows and begins to outgrow his crib, his mom is left with no safe way to contain him while he sleeps. Despite using baby monitors, door alarms, and sleeping with him by her side, Matty’s mom often lies awake in fear, knowing they live on a rural farm where it would be difficult to find him if he wandered outside. Matty is also nonverbal and unable to ask for help—one of the biggest reasons he needs a specialized safety bed. Without the ability to call out or communicate if he’s in pain, stuck, scared, or in danger during the night, he is especially vulnerable. If he were to climb or fall from a traditional bed, or become distressed, his family might not know right away. A safety bed offers critical protection by creating a secure, enclosed space designed to prevent injury, wandering, or entrapment—and helps ensure Matty can rest safely even when he cannot express his needs.

To help keep Matty safe, he has been recommended for a Cubby Bed—a medically necessary enclosed safety bed that will provide both security and comfort. His recent therapy evaluations show his fine and gross motor skills are well below age level, further supporting the need for extra protection. The total cost of Matty’s Cubby Bed is $7,239.00. With your support, we can make sure he has a safe place to sleep and his mom can finally rest knowing he’s protected. Your support means more than words can say. Thank you for considering Matty and helping us give him the gift of safe, restful sleep.