"We raised over half a million dollars for an inclusive playground in less than a year."

"We raised over half a million dollars for an inclusive playground in less than a year."

From This One Time in Kankakee by WVLI Podcast Network

May 18, 2026 · 18 min · Episode 18

About this episode

The episode discusses a community's response to a rare medical diagnosis and their efforts to raise funds for an inclusive playground.

What happens when a single viral video transforms a devastating rare medical diagnosis into a half-million-dollar community miracle? In this feature-length episode of This One Time in Kankakee, host Jake LaMore sits down with local residents Hollie and Jesse Erickson for an incredibly raw, moving, and ultimately triumphant conversation about their youngest son, Bedford. When Bedford was just a toddler, he was diagnosed with Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome (SJS), an ultra-rare genetic condition with ...

People in this episode

Host: Jake LaMore

Guests: Hollie Erickson, Jesse Erickson

Topics covered

  • community support
  • rare medical diagnosis
  • fundraising
  • inclusive playground
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • viral video
  • Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome
  • fundraising
  • community miracle
  • inclusive playground

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome

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