“I had a dream to create a space where ALL kids with ALL abilities could play together,” said Sarah Madson, mother of Kosair Kid Luke. “This community has shown up and turned this dream into a reality, and we are so incredibly thankful.”
Representatives from about a dozen local organizations stood alongside Mrs. Madson and Luke at today’s celebration of a project months in the works. Doctors in Minnesota diagnosed Luke’s spinal cord injury at birth and suggested that the boy would never even be able to feed himself. His driven mother refused to accept that prognosis and began a mission to find hope. Her dogged research led the family to move to Louisville, where Luke began therapy at the Kosair for Kids Pediatric NeuroRecovery Center at UofL. In the past three years, the family has become part of our community, purchasing a home, working, joining a church family, and getting involved in school activities.
“As we prepared Luke to begin pre-kindergarten this week, our hearts broke knowing that he and other kids like him would be forced to watch their friends play at recess,” Sarah recalled. “That’s why I am thankful for Kosair for Kids, who introduced me to the DREAM Foundation of Kentucky last year. Together, we have built a coalition of caring community members who have answered my son’s plea with, ‘Yes! Yes, Luke. You can play, too!”
“While this amazing playground will provide important opportunities for Our Savior Lutheran School (OSLS) students like Luke, just as important is its availability to families in our part of Louisville Metro who need a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for their specially-blessed child to play and grow,” said Chip Davidson, OSLS Principal.
A Kosair for Kids grant, combined with support from Bluegrass Recreation, City of Hurstbourne, DREAM Factory, Humana, IPA Foundation, Justin Thomas Foundation, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Little Tykes, Metro Parks (District 18), Northwestern Mutual, Superior Van & Mobility, WHAS Crusade for Children, hundreds of individuals, and other community groups means construction will begin within the school year.
The playground at Our Savior Lutheran School and Community (8305 Nottingham Parkway, Louisville) will include a rubber safety surface that allows children and adults who use a wheelchair or mobility aid to navigate the area more easily. There will be five slides, three sets of monkey bars, seven swings, balance beams, climbing towers, and more. The playground will be fully ramped and include an accessible swing, surface spinner, and accessible picnic table seating area, as well as a sensory play area.
Sarah and the Dream Foundation hope to raise another $145,000 to complete a picnic pavilion with accessible seating on the site. Anyone looking to help the project reach its final goal can donate at www.oslsplayground.com. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Major grants received to date include:
• Bluegrass Recreation - $10,000
• City of Hurstbourne - $35,000
• DREAM Factory - $7,000
• Humana - $10,000
• IPA Foundation - $5,000
• Justin Thomas Foundation – Undisclosed
• Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels - $5,000
• Kosair for Kids - $150,000
• Little Tykes - $67,000
• Metro Parks (District 18) - $34,250
• Northwestern Mutual - $6,000
• Superior Van & Mobility - $17,000
• WHAS Crusade for Children - $80,000
Some of the individual donors will be recognized at a ribbon-cutting ceremony upon the playground's completion, which is expected to take place in Spring 2025.