Chicago Special Spaces To Provide Bedroom Makeover For Boy Suffering From Malignant Brain Tumor

CHICAGO - June 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Chicago, IL-
Special Spaces Chicagoland, a non-profit organization that creates dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical conditions, will be conducting a complete room makeover for a 10 year-old Chicago boy, Adam Sanchez on Wednesday, June 12, 2013.

Adam was diagnosed with a malignant neoplasm (Stage 3 Ependymoma) of the brain in November of 2012. He has endured a craniotomy and over 30 session of chemotherapy and proton beam radiation as part of his treatment.  Adam loves Minecraft and Legos and his room design will reflect these interests.  

To help complete makeovers, Special Spaces Chicagoland depends on corporate donations from local businesses, groups and even other foundations. The Chicago Police Department has a special connection to this room makeover. Adam’s mother, Brenda Valadez, is currently a member of the CPD and his uncle, Alex Valadez, was killed in the line of duty two years ago.  As a result, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is generously donating funds to support this room makeover.

Additionally, VML Chicago, a full-service digital marketing agency, is honored to provide funding for Adam’s Special Spaces room. The project is made possible through an employee-funded grant provided by the VML Foundation.


Naperville resident Kelly Knox founded the Special Spaces Chicagoland chapter in 2012. This room makeover is the chapter’s fifth. The organization’s goal is to create dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical illnesses. The focus is answering one question:  Where does a child go when battling a serious illness to find peace and comfort?  A bedroom of course.  According to Knox, “A bedroom to most kids is a personal space—a place that represents his or her unique personality. For a child with a critical illness who spends a lot of time at home in his or her room, that room should be a very special space.  A place of comfort and refuge.  A place that inspires and gives hope.”

The Chicagoland chapter has several other room makeovers scheduled in the next year for children in need. Follow the progress on Facebook at “Special Spaces Chicagoland”.  For details about this special organization go to http://www.specialspaces.org.  For more information on how you can volunteer or make a donation, please contact kellyk@specialspaces.org.  

Special Spaces National was founded in July 2004 on the precedent that children battling life-threatening illnesses need their own special space. This is a place of hope, inspiration and a special space to find peace and comfort. A Special Spaces, a 501 C (3) non-profit, has created hundreds of bedrooms across the country. It is the vision of our organization to have a Special Spaces Director everywhere there is a child in need.