Neighbors Rally To Help Parents Of Disabled Twins Buy Accessible Van

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Emmy Rose and Brinley Marie Crawford just want what other kids have: the ability to get up and go without having to break down wheelchairs, or be awkwardly transferred into special car seats to go to school or out for ice cream.

This Sunday, April 16, the 3-year-old identical twins will get their five minutes of fame at “Twins Going Mobile,” at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionette Park. The benefit runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Proceeds will go toward the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van.

The Evergreen Park sisters came as a surprise to their parents, mom, Kelly Riley, a union elevator mechanic, and dad, Eamon Crawford, a native of Ireland and a self-employed contractor. The couple already had three teens between them, and thought that season of life was winding down, when they learned Kelly was expecting twins.

Emmy Rose and Brinley Marie as newborns

While in utero, doctors detected that Emmy had hydrocephalus. As weeks went by, it became apparent it was severe. Kelly and Eamon had 24 weeks to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy, which would have meant that Brinley would have to share a womb with her deceased sibling.

“They told us Emmy wouldn’t survive the pregnancy,” said Teri Riley, the twins’ grandmother. “When Emmy was born, doctors said she’d probably die when they cut the cord.”

Kelly got in touch with Gift of Hope, prepared to donate Emmy’s heart to another baby when the cord was cut, but Emmy didn’t die. She was immediately intubated and whisked away. Three days later, Emmy was breathing on her own. Emmy began the first of many brain surgeries in her first six months of life. She was diagnosed with hydrocephaly, epilepsy and craniosynostosis.

Brinley was born first and appeared to be healthy. Three months later, Brinley contracted meningitis. She began experiencing seizures. Described as a wild child, Brinley has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and microcephaly.

The twins were in line for early intervention therapy, but then the panemic happened. Therapy came to a screeching halt in 2020, as well as the girls’ development. The family stayed home and social distanced. They did the best they could with Zoom therapy. Then there were the insurance battles, familiar to any family with special needs children, but Kelly’s insurance wouldn’t pay for the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab until the twins turned three. They began 16 weeks of intensive therapy in September 2022.

“They did phenomenal, they did 16 weeks of intensive therapy,” Teri said. “I love my little grandbabies.”

The twins during a September 2022 therapy session at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab

A retired Chicago police lieutenant, Teri has forgone spending winters in her small, Florida condo, so she can be close by to help her daughter and son-in-law.

“They’re actively involved, they both work full time. They can’t do this by themselves,” Teri said. “I’m proud of both of them. It’s all about the babies. They haven’t shied away from their obligations. They’ve done everything they can to provide the best services for the girls to ensure they have a good quality of life.”

An accessible van will enable the 3-year-old twins to get to therapy, medical appointments, and preschool at AERO Special Education Cooperative, so they can start to advance.

Teri credits Kelly, a life long Southsider, for being a strong woman. Catching up with Kelly after a long day at her job, and then trying to get the kids down for bed — who can be heard cooing in the background while talking on the phone — Kelly sounds asleep on her feet.

Brinley Marie Crawford

“I’m holding on to faith, I just keep on keeping on. We just have to keep going,” Kelly said. “They’re polar opposites. Emmy is an angel. She’s my singer and very gentle. Brinley is a firecracker, a wild child.”

Kelly is looking down the road five years from now, when her daughters are eight and “20 pounds heavier and 14 inches longer.” She and Eamon have been looking at accessible vans with room for two wheelchairs, a third row of seats for other passengers, a side opening, left and a captain’s seat and bucket seat for the driver and front seat passenger. Most importantly, the twins can be rolled in and out of the vehicle.

“The cheapest one was $50,000 used, and a new van costs $100,000, but with inflation, who knows,” Kelly said. “I work full time. Not only is it going to be convenient for the girls, but for anyone just transporting them.”

Emmy Rose Crawford

The benefit has been in the works since November, with Teri and 20 of her and Kelly's friends planning it together. Tickets to Twins Going Mobile are $35 online until noon Saturday; $40 at the door. Children under 21 are $10. Included are food, beer, wine and pop. The Ron Burgundy’s will perform.

There are also tons of raffles, including 115 raffle baskets, 18 grand raffle baskets, four round trip domestic flights to anywhere in the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico, donated by Southwest Airlines, Chicago Bears tickets, Jameson barrel chairs and bean bag sets, and signed hockey sticks donated by Michael Schofield and Kendall Coyne-Schofield.

For more information about Twins Going Mobile, email triley31359@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page for Twins Going Mobile