Isaac's Autism in the Wild
On February 8, 2007, Holly Bahme-Lytle suffered a tremendous loss when her son Isaac, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, unexpectedly passed away just six weeks short of celebrating his fourth birthday. Determined to turn her personal tragedy into an opportunity to help families similar to her own who were struggling with the hardships of having a loved one affected by autism, Holly channeled her grief and founded the ISAAC Foundation in July of 2007. This was no easy task as the year following Isaac’s death Holly gave birth to her youngest son, Caleb, who was later diagnosed with high functioning autism.
Through it all, Holly never allowed personal hardship to derail her desire to provide services for families in need. In the early years, the ISAAC Foundation provided financial support to hundreds of children in the region diagnosed with autism so that they could receive critical therapy interventions that were not covered by their insurance. She later broadened the scope of ISAAC Foundation’s mission to include emotional support programs for parents and siblings, educational programs for parents, teachers, employers and regional first responders, and a weighted blanket program that hand-makes and distributes over 200 weighted blankets and lap pads per year to individuals in need in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.
The needs of each family is different which is why the ISAAC Foundation provides a very diverse set or programs and services. Sometimes a family’s greatest need is emotional support, which is why the foundation hosts monthly mom, dad and sibling support groups and produces a weekly podcast on autism related topics.
The ISAAC Foundation has an extremely loyal and dedicated network of supporters in the region. Its supporters consist of local organizations and families who have often experienced first-hand the quality of services the ISAAC Foundation provides to the community. It’s through these experiences, both the good and the bad, that they are able to form strong bonds that keeps them connected throughout the family’s autism journey.
The ISAAC Foundation is more than just a foundation providing programs and services to the autism community. It has become the glue that connects a diverse tribe of individuals, families, and organization that together impact the lives of thousands of individuals touched by autism throughout the region.
To learn more about The ISAAC Foundation, follow us on Facebook or visit its website at www.theISAACfoundation.org.
