Sales from our Family Store helps Little Dinos support disabled kids!
Image Description: Green text reads, "Meet the Little Dinos Family" Beneath the title is a colorful illustration of the family (From left to right)
- Milly: Co-founder + mom to Lucas, she wears glasses and a red shirt.
- Will: Co-founder + Dad to Lucas, he smiles as he carries Lucas in his arms.
- Lucas: Cutest Little Dino, he wears AFO braces.
- Oaklee: Co-founder + illustrator, she does a wheelie in her wheelchair.
- Coco: Oaklee's service dog
- Michael: Co-founder + Godfather to Lucas, he smiles + waves.
Our Little Dinos Story
In 2022, our son, Lucas, was born with a variety of neurological conditions including Tethered Cord Syndrome (TSCS) and Spina Bifida. We wanted to raise our kid with a sense of disability pride and confidence but as new parents of a disabled child, we had lots of questions.
What does it feel like to have a tethered spinal cord? What do we do if his school isn't accommodating? Will dating as a disabled adult be difficult?
Fortunately, Will's brother + Lucas' godfather, Michael, was dating Oaklee at the time who coincidentally, has TSCS like Lucas. We were able to ask her our many questions and it was helpful to talk to a disabled adult who has the same condition as our son. It felt like a glimpse into our son's future and it was reassuring to know an adult with his condition thriving.
In our conversations, we realized that the best way to raise a confident disabled child is to instill a sense of disability pride, surround them with disabled role models + community, and teach them how to set healthy boundaries + stand up for their rights. With Little Dinos, we aim to do all of this and more!
Founded in October 2024, Little Dinos creates a safe and inclusive community where disabled kids and their families can find positive disability representation and kid-friendly resources.
Image Description: An illustration of a smiling orange Brachiosaurus wearing blue AFO braces.
Will, Milly, and Lucas
Lucas is a happy, smart, and curious kid who loves to explore, draw, and watch Bluey. He is fascinated by all things related to dinosaurs and even has dinos on his AFO braces! He knows over 30 words in American Sign Language (ASL) and is learning new words every day.
As new parents of a disabled child, we are committed to learning from the disability community. We aim to raise awareness about rare conditions like Tethered Cord Syndrome and Spina Bifida while also providing educational resources and community for families like ours!
Image Description (first photo) Digital photo of Will, Milly, and Lucas smiling outside. Will and Milly wear glasses and smile at the camera as they hold Lucas in their arms. The trio wears matching t-shirts featuring a hand-painted image of a Brachiosaurus wearing a birthday hat.
Image Description (second photo) Digital photo of Michael, Oaklee, and Coco smiling in front of a grey wall. Oaklee sits in a black manual wheelchair and Michael leans behind her with his hand on her back. Coco is a purebred female German Shepherd. She wears a green service dog vest.
Michael, Oaklee, and Coco
Working as an EMT-B and acting as a caregiver for his wife, Michael has witnessed all sides of healthcare and realized that there is a disconnect between healthcare providers and the disabled patients that they care for. Many doctor's offices are inaccessible for wheelchair users and many don't know how to interact with their disabled patients. Michael aims to help bridge the divide between healthcare professionals and their disabled patients by advocating for more inclusive and accessible medical facilities and collaborating with ¸healthcare professionals to create content that explains doctor's visits, medical procedures, and disability in a kid-friendly way.
Oaklee was diagnosed with Tethered Cord Syndrome in her early 20's and has undergone two spinal cord release surgeries. Since 2020, Oaklee has worked as an artist illustrating disabled characters and building interactive community art projects. Most recently, she collaborated with DisArt to create The My Dearest Friends Project to archive, illustrate, and amplify disabled stories.
Coco is a trained Medical Alert Service dog who has assisted Oaklee for the past 6 years. Coco loves working in the art studio with Oaklee and visiting local art museums. She's always excited to visit grade schools to help Oaklee teach students about service dogs and often falls asleep on stage during Oaklee's speeches.