Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc.

Thanks to the incredible support and generosity of our community, we have successfully raised over $7,900 for our "Empowering Dreams" Campaign in a few short days! Every dollar donated is significantly impacting our efforts to continue our equipment granting and college scholarship programs. With hearts full of gratitude and joy, we are so happy to announce the first-ever recipients of the Laughing At My Nightmare Academic Scholarship Program, Laura and Lucas! Let’s meet the awesome students that all of you are helping to empower! Laura is the first recipient of LAMN’s full-tuition scholarship. She lives with spinal muscular atrophy and is attending Yale Law School, where she works for the Yale Law Journal as a first-year Editor and serves on the boards of several student organizations. After graduating, she hopes to work in health law with an emphasis on disability rights issues. Lucas is the recipient of a four-year housing scholarship from LAMN. Lucas lives with spinal muscular atrophy and graduated as a Valedictorian from his high school with a 4.26 GPA. In high school he was Co-Captain of the Debate Team and on the board of Alliance for Disability Awareness. He will be attending UC Berkeley to major in Political Science and minor in Disability Studies and Public Policy. In the future, he plans on becoming a disability rights attorney. We are deeply grateful for your support and belief in our mission. If you’d like to learn more about how these funds will be utilized or how you can further contribute, click here: https://lnkd.in/gpnq6uqV Thank you once again for your dedication and commitment. Together, we are making a meaningful impact!

Another run, walk, and roll training tip from Shane: Today’s post might strike you as unorthodox but that’s exactly what we strive for here at LAMN! Today, I’m going to be interviewing MYSELF to try to understand the mindset of a true champion. I’m sure my responses will be riveting! Q: What is the key to success? A: Force-feeding yourself at least six pounds of organic bananas prior to engaging in anything of substantial importance. Q: That’s quite a specific tip! What other secret nuggets of wisdom does that brain hold within? A: For a more vibrant and stunning perception of the world around you, try reverse cycling your sleep patterns on a 36-hour basis, essentially enabling a physical state of “permanent awareness.” Q: We’re not even sure what that means, but it sounds unhealthy. A: Is this a paid interview? Are there snacks? I can feel my blood pressure dipping dangerously low. If I don’t stay active, my body sort of enters an involuntary hibernation, but I’m proud to say I’ve been training for the 5K for three weeks straight! Q: What has been your greatest hurdle in preparing for the 12th Annual LAMN 5K? A: Definitely the hurdles have been the greatest hurdles. I only train in crowded environments (lest I accidentally find myself in a place quiet enough to hear my inner monologue) so I’m constantly having to hurdle over strollers, dogs, small children, etc. Q: What’s so bad about taking the time to listen to your body and mind? A: I can only think in screams, so it’s not pleasant to listen to. Q: Any other tips for our participants? A: Give up while you’ve still got your dignity. It’s cold out here in the Great Aloneness. Q: Thank you, Shane… sort of The run, walk, and roll sign up deadline is 6/10! Sign up today to be part of the virtual fun on July 13th and 14th: https://lnkd.in/eUgVtMpb

Defined by the tracks we leave behind… When we, Shane and I, cofounded LAMN back in 2012, our goals were simple: teach people helpful tools about overcoming adversity and assist the disability community in any way we could. Over a decade later, LAMN has not only supplied $1,000,000 in assistance to the disability community, we’ve also engaged hundreds of audiences about the power of humor, and we’re now working to provide college scholarships to the muscular dystrophy community. Have we accomplished the goals we set out to achieve 12 years ago? Some may say, “yes”. But there is still work to be done. LAMN has weathered many storms throughout the last 12 years, but if there is one thing that remains steadfast and true, it’s that we will stop at nothing to continue our work in advocacy and restoring independence to people who need and deserve it. This year’s Virtual Run, Walk, and Roll shirt design embodies what it is we’re trying to accomplish because we believe that we are all “defined by the tracks we leave behind.” Set up a team, sign up, or learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ezkvZxcY

We wanted to extend another HUGE thank you to our community partners, BSI Corporate Benefits and MtM Financial Group, along with our generous community of supporters for helping to raise $10,000 for LAMN's programs on GivingTuesday! All funds raised through GivingTuesday have benefitted LAMN's NEW 2024 Scholarship Program which will be providing comprehensive college scholarships to people living with disabilities! In 2024, we will also continue to provide equipment that restores comfort, independence, and health to the disability community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! <3

This is a scary post to make, but aren’t the biggest things usually also the scariest? I’ll cut to the chase: our nonprofit organization, Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc., is proudly and excitedly expanding our philanthropy to create a FULL-RIDE Academic Scholarship program for people living with muscular dystrophy! Throw the confetti! Raise your glasses! Sound your kazoos! In 2024, we intend to provide full-tuition scholarships to TWO people with disabilities in pursuit of higher education!!! This program has been a goal for years, and to see it finally become reality thanks to your unwavering support gives me actual goosebumps if I ponder it enough. Thank you so much! My connection to this program is deeply personal. When I was exploring college during my high school years, the financial and emotional burden of hiring caregivers was so overwhelming that I felt limited to colleges near my parents’ house. I ended up loving my experience as a commuter, living at home, but I want to help other young disabled students with big aspirations feel like they can chase their biggest dreams without being limited by the financial barriers. Disability is expensive in this inaccessible world, but we’re working hard to help combat that inequality! This program is another monumental step we’re taking towards that mission. To celebrate the launch of this massively exciting program, and to kickstart our fundraising to supply scholarships for years to come, Hannah, Sarah, and I will be performing a special night of comedy and storytelling on November 28th that you’re all invited to attend! Click here to get your tickets to the event, and to learn more about this new program: https://lnkd.in/e9K_UgM