The gift of rest: Local nonprofit supports autistic child with unique bed
Toné Dennis’ daughter Sapphire has always had trouble sleeping.
The 10-year-old is autistic and overstimulation keeps her – and her mother – awake.
Fortunately for Sapphire, Dennis always looks for ways to improve her daughter’s life.
“I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I’m her only voice so I advocate for her, and I feel like I’ve had to fight for everything she has,” Dennis, of Uniontown, said.
One of those struggles, finding the money to buy a special bed that can cost between $10,000 and $20,000, has been ongoing for five years. The purchase may have taken longer were it not for a chance encounter with an employee at Uniontown Mall last year that led to what Dennis calls “a miracle.”
That employee happened to be friends with Paul and Christine Eckert, founders of the nonprofit Team Ian Charities. The couple understood Dennis’ struggle. At birth, their son Ian was diagnosed with neurological impairments, cerebral palsy and pachygyria. He passed away in 2022 and age 14, and shortly after, his parents founded Team Ian Charities as a way to share Ian’s joy and positivity with families in similar situations.
The mothers talked – Dennis said it was validating to connect with someone who understood the struggle that comes with a child who has special needs.
Nearly a year later, Christine called Dennis and told her she and her husband had been praying.
“She said, ‘We’re going to get this bed for you,’ and I was just shocked. We were both bawling, and I asked what I could pitch in or if I could pay the shipping, and Christine just said, ‘This is from Ian’,” Dennis said.
On Aug. 22, Christine was there when the bed, called a zPod, was delivered to Sapphire.
The zPod is a customizable, sensory-friendly and enclosed safety bed that includes features such as lighting control, white noise generation and Bluetooth speakers. It’s meant to provide a solution for people with autism to enjoy a peaceful night of sleep.
“Toné wanted this to be a surprise and it went very well,” Christine said. “She invited Sapphire’s therapist to be there too, and we had her favorite song playing. She loved the lights and the mirrors.”
“She took her therapist back into her room and kissed herself in the mirror in the zPod. It was just heartwarming,” Christine continued.
Though it hasn’t been long, Sapphire is responding positively to her new bed, Dennis said. And that kind of help, said Christine, is exactly what Team Ian Charities wants to provide.
“We always want people to tell us where the needs are. We rely on our community to bring those needs to us, and we have a board that really trusts us and knows we’ll do our due diligence,” she said. “We’ve never gifted something like this, but really, most of the things we work on are unique. My biggest prayer and hope is that Toné can finally sleep.”
Dennis, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by the generosity and believes a higher power led her to the Ekerts and Team Ian Charities.
“God had a plan in all of this. I didn’t get a chance to meet Ian but I want to thank him. We’re still soaking it in but this is way more than a material possession. It’s a symbol of love and support,” Dennis said.
For more information on Team Ian Charities, visit https://www.teamiancharities.org/.