A gathering last week at Bibler Home and Gardens in Kalispell, originally planned as a funeral, was instead, a vibrant 100th birthday party for Whitefish resident Dr. Jean Todd.  

"I'd come here a couple years ago with my daughters to plan my after-death party," Todd said. "Since I was having a birthday, I thought it might be more fun to be there myself, and it is." 

As part of her celebration, Todd wanted to make a donation to a local organization and when she heard of Sabrina Wisher's foundation, Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings, she had a feeling it would be a good fit. That feeling was confirmed after she and Wisher met for lunch a few times and became acquainted. 

Todd was a trailblazer in the field of dyslexia and helped many families negotiate life and school with a condition that was not yet recognized by the academic community nor the state of California.  

Wisher's daughter, Mikayla, was diagnosed with Acardii Syndrome and wasn't expected to live beyond 2 years. Now a 35-year-old woman, she is missing part of her brain, is nonverbal, non-ambulatory and has daily seizures. 

Still, she smiles, laughs and can operate various toys, all things she was not expected to be able to do. 

"Sabrina's daughter was born without a corpus collosum, and that's my field," Todd said, adding that the corpus collosum connects the left and right sides of the brain. 

"I've never met anyone in my life who was born without one," Todd said. "I've had a couple students who, when I got them to read, they seemed to switch to the left hemisphere, and it showed on the [testing]. But it's not the same as being born without one. 

"Dyslexics are very often not using the left side, where most language activities are, in most people," she said. "I had taught people to read after they'd had brain injury, but [Mikayla] is still improving, and she's 30 years plus. She laughs and she gets interested in our conversations, and she's sitting up now and she wasn't sitting up." 

Todd said scientists believed that patients had to be young to form new pathways in the brain, but that doesn't seem to be the case. 

"My daughter, who's here tonight, had a stroke, and she lost all of her right brain function, and she's walking now," Todd added. 

WISHER'S FOUNDATION came about after her request for a safe bed for the then 19-year-old Mikayla was denied by the state of Montana four times.  

The SleepSafe bed has adjustable solid sides, rather than the metal bars of a hospital bed that often caused Mikayla to become entangled during middle-of-the-night seizures. The price of a SleepSafe bed is about $10,000. 

"I made a huge stink. I wrote to every representative, senator, governor, at the time. I think Obama was our president. I wrote to him," she said. "I wrote to everybody because I needed this bed for my daughter." 

Wisher reached out to her old classmates, the Flathead High School class of 1987, and they raised around $26,000 in six weeks. The SleepSafe company was moved by the story and gave the Wishers a bed. 

"I paid it forward and started Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings at that time," Wisher said. "I believe in the quality of life just because your special needs shouldn't mean you shouldn't get something to better your life." 

"I was a single mom, and I had to fight for everything I needed for Mikayla," she added. "I wanted to make things easier for families around here with special needs." 

Her battles with the state forced a change in the way Medicare and Medicaid deal with requests like hers. They now pay for safer beds. 

Wisher began buying medical beds for children who needed them since they were so difficult to get through Medicaid insurance companies. She furnished other medical equipment and eventually expanded to provide adaptive recreational equipment like bicycles. 

Each year, her foundation donates a vehicle to a family because Medicaid will help adapt a van. 

The foundation is run entirely by volunteers. No one gets a paycheck, and all the money goes to helping kids and families. The foundation has broadened its reach since it was established in 2012.  

"I also adopt 150 high school students here in our valley. These kids are either homeless or they're couch surfing," she said. "I don't know if you realize the amount of kids that aren't living at home, but these kids are amazing because they're still enrolled in school." 

At Christmas, Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings brings duffle bags full of winter gear like coats, shirts, socks and gloves to the 150 students at Flathead and Glacier high schools and Linderman who were referred to Wisher by teachers and counselors. Wisher includes a hand-knit hat, personal hygiene products, school supplies, snacks and gift cards. She aims to include $300-$400 worth of items. 

Wisher provides about 800-1,000 coats to students each year. 

"We also feed families at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Last year alone, we fed 2,200 individuals for the holidays," she said. "I have a of team people of that come over to my to house and we and pack the meals." 

She has friends who load trailers with turkeys and help deliver meals, too. Some of them go to families in the Evergreen area, where Wisher grew up. 

"It's very personal to me," she said. 

Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings also adopts families for the holidays and gets wish lists from the students.  

"Their wish lists are different," she said. "One that always sticks out to me is that a little girl wanted a case of water and some Chapstick." 

A bed was on another child's list, and one wished for a bike to replace one that had been stolen. In addition to their requests, Wisher always includes books and board games. 

"Last year, I had 219 kids that I provided Christmas for, and it gets bigger every year," she said. "I do adaptive presents because ... it's hard to get presents for our kids with special needs because every kid is different." 

Wisher works with parents and therapists to ensure that about 30 kids who meet at the Summit Fitness Center in Kalispell for Christmas have a gift from Santa to open. 

"Mikayla has never said a word in her life, [and] because of her, we help thousands of kids every year," Wisher said. "I've walked in these people's shoes. I've been without. I've needed and I didn't have anyone to go to. 

Todd sees that the inspiration for Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings is right up her alley, and Sabrina is thankful for Todd's generosity. 

"I'm excited to learn more from her," Wisher said. "Her knowledge of 100 years? That's a blessing. That's huge." 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.

    Whitefish resident Dr. Jean Todd talks with her daughter during her 100th brithday celebration last week. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    The inspiration and namesake for Mikayla's Miracles and Blessings, Mikayla Wisher, smiles alongside her mom, Sabrina Wisher. (Photo provided)