Regina Bradley
Regina Bradley is saving so that both of her children will be able to live a comfortable life in their own homes someday.
Regina and the Bradley Family just opened their first Missouri ABLE account for their son Ayden’s sixth birthday and have encouraged family and friends to contribute to the account instead of giving gifts. As a retired military family, the Bradleys are also a blended family. They have two adult biological daughters and a pair of six-year-olds who were adopted from the Ukraine in 2012. Both of their adopted children, Abby and Ayden, have Down syndrome. Abby has an ABLE Account just like her brother. Regina and her husband knew they wanted to adopt children with disabilities because other members of their family also have disabilities, including Regina’s aunt and brother. Regina dedicates her life to advocating, not only for her children, but for all children with disabilities. She regularly attends Missouri Parents Act (MPACT) trainings, stays informed about state laws and policies that affect her children and is a liaison for her kids’ school district. Regina looks forward to advocating for other families as an ABLE Advisor and bringing the same hope that having an ABLE account has brought to her family to countless others.
Regina Bradley’s Highlight from the June 2018 AchievABLE Newsletter
Regina and the Bradley Family opened their first Missouri ABLE account for their son Ayden’s sixth birthday and have encouraged family and friends to contribute to the account instead of giving gifts. As a retired military family, the Bradleys are also a blended family. They have two adult biological daughters and a pair of six-year-olds who were adopted from the Ukraine in 2012. Both of their adopted children, Abby and Ayden, have Down syndrome. Abby has an ABLE Account just like her brother. Regina and her husband knew they wanted to adopt children with disabilities because other members of their family also have disabilities, including Regina’s aunt and brother. Regina dedicates her life to advocating, not only for her children, but for all children with disabilities.
The Bradleys are saving so that both of her children will be able to live a comfortable life in their own homes someday. She hopes that the funds in their ABLE accounts with provide them with opportunities to travel, learn and take part in extracurricular activities as they grow older.
On May 10, the Bradleys were interviewed by their local news station.
The ABLE National Resource Center is proud to have Regina and her family as part of our 2018 ABLE Advisors.
Regina Bradley’s Highlight from the November 2018 AchievABLE Newsletter
Regina and the Bradley Family have big news to share! They sold their home this fall, renovated their 22-foot travel trailer, hit the open road and Regina and her husband, Kelly, started homeschooling their two six-year-old, pint-sized ABLE account owners, Ayden and Abby. The family is four weeks into their adventure and plan to travel the country for the next year. So far, they have visited Kansas, Colorado and Texas. Abby amazed other tourists at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO by climbing boulders like a pro. The Bradleys are currently in Missouri for the holidays with their oldest daughter, Dawna, and her kids before heading to Tennessee, the Grand Canyon and up the west coast to ultimately visit their other daughter, Kalyn, in Washington State in 2019.
The Bradleys will be living off of Kelly’s military retirement and disability pay while they are on the road. Reggie, as she likes to be called, shares that, “Now that we don’t have the cost of our home, and we’re on the road, we are saving money and able to put some of that savings into the ABLE accounts for Abby and Ayden. This experience of traveling the country opens a window for me to be able to talk to more people about ABLE.”
Before they headed out on their yearlong adventure, Reggie made sure to get new glasses and hearing aids squared away for both kids. This included using their ABLE funds to cover the co-pay on these items. She also used ABLE funds to purchase a second set of glasses for both kids. Ayden, in particular, has a history of being pretty rough on his glasses because he likes to take them off and throw them around. Now, they have a spare set to sacrifice at the Grand Canyon, if it comes to that.
Check out the Bradleys’ adventures featured on An Extraordinary Journey, and visit www.extraordinaryjourney.net to follow their journey.
The ABLE National Resource Center is proud to have Reggie and her family as one of our 2018 ABLE Advisors.
