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“Benefit for Julia” to help Wickliffe girl with cerebral palsy
By Magdalene Pesch • Today’s Family Writer
 An upcoming event at Coach's Neighborhood Tavern will benefit the Heintz family of Wickliffe, and particular six-year-old Julia Heintz, who has cerebral palsy. The Heintz family is Joe, 37; Debbie, 36; Julia, six, and Donovan, almost 8 months old. Joe is in construction and Debbie is a stay-at-home mom.
Debbie described the link between Julia's premature birth at 24 weeks and the subsequent development of cerebral palsy. "Julia was a micropreemie. She was born so early that the blood vessels in her brain never had a chance to fully develop which resulted in them bursting open,” she recalls. “Julia had brain surgery to insert a shunt when she was just two-and-a-half pounds. She was a little pipsqueak. She didn't get the cerebral palsy diagnosis until she was one year old."
Starting this school year, Julia will divide her school weeks between Royalview Elementary in Willowick and Rising Star Learning Center in Mentor, where she already receives conductive education. "Conductive education has really helped Julia with functional skills like being able to sit by herself and feed herself as well as potty training,” says Debbie. “We want to see if she can progress. We always want to challenge her. Just like any kid, she needs to have challenges.”
Debbie described exactly how Julia's cerebral palsy necessitates home renovations and a wheelchair accessible van. "We have a four-level split and to make it one hundred percent accessible would be an astronomical cost. Transportation for Julia is part of the reason that this fundraiser came about in the first place, because we need a van with a lift," Debbie said.
The benefit at Coach's, located at 30525 Euclid Avenue in Wickliffe, will be Sunday, September 12 from 1 pm to 10 pm. A pasta dinner, served from 3 pm to 6 pm is included in the ticket price. There will be a Chinese auction, door prizes and a 50/50 drawing. Musical acts Shattered, the Grinders, and acoustic artist Joe Sumph will all perform.
The benefit has been spearheaded primarily by Tony Dunn and Stephanie Meadows, both friends of the Heintzs. "Debbie has been a most loyal friend and she has amazing kids," Stephanie raves. Tony emphasizes that the event has been planned as a family-centered event. "We're making it very kid-friendly because it is for Julia," he says. The child-oriented activities will include clowning, balloon art and face painting during different points in the day. Tickets are ten dollars and can be acquired by contacting Tony at 440-289-1941
or Stephanie at 440-521-6768.
If you are unable to attend or are reading this after the benefit has taken place, you can still help. Donations can be made to the Julia Jean Heintz Fund at Eaton Family Credit Union branches in Wickliffe, Willoughby Hills and Euclid. Every dollar will contribute to shaping a future in which Julia is as well-adjusted as she can possibly become. Debbie said, "Our hope for her future is just that she is happy, well-adjusted and that she can be as functional as possible in whatever that's going to mean for her. So far, she's happy."
Magdalene Pesch, M.B.A., M.A., is a freelance writer based in the Cleveland area.
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