When Maryann Wallace’s daughter was born three months early and needed to spend the first seven months of her life in the hospital, Fred’s Footsteps in Bryn Mawr was there to help her and her husband Chris with the bills piling up, writes Kim Hudson for CBS Philadelphia.

The Wallace’s already had a son who lives with autism and type 1 diabetes, so Chris knew he needed to be home more for his wife and children even though he was the family’s sole income.

The drop in income put a major strain on the family’s finances, but financial assistance from Fred’s Footsteps gave them the lifeline they needed, Wallace said.

Fred’s Footsteps helps children of all ages with complex medical issues, not by paying the medical bills, but by helping with other costs like rent, mortgage, or car payments, according to Program Director Diane Smith-Hoban.

Wallace said Fred’s Footsteps helps these families focus on their children’s needs.

“Their family, the home, being a family unit, that’s what it’s about,” she said.

Read more about how the work of Fred’s Footsteps and how the Wallace family is doing today at CBS Philadelphia.

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