BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — "It'll never happen to me." It's what we often say when we bear witness to others facing tragedy, difficulty, or misfortune.But as the Yiddish proverb goes, "You plan, God laughs," because life has a funny way of showing us that what happens to others could easily happen to us. And no family knows that lesson better than the Ferderer family. "It's hard to describe, you know? There's a feeling of loss because you didn't get what you expected, and you had to change your plans," Matt Ferderer, the patriarch of the family, said. When Elliott Ferderer was born in 2020 — at the height of the pandemic — her parents, Kris and Matt, knew something was wrong. Elliott was born with a congenital heart defect, but things quickly escalated from there. "They realized it was more complex than they thought, so she was listed for a transplant and then received a heart transplant when she was just two months old," Kris said. But Elliott didn't completely take to the transplant, and she suffered a stroke after doctors finished the surgery. It was then that the life of Elliott, and her parents, changed forever. Elliott was diagnosed with left-sided cerebral palsy. Meet Libby Wolff, a CPABLE Crew Kid "You're worried, and obviously, we knew it was going to be a lifelong challenge for her," Kris said. Cerebral palsy, or CP, is a neurological condition that affects someone's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Often caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage at birth or in infancy, CP comes with no cure. "The docs had said, sat us down and talked to us after she had her stroke, basically told us, um, you know, we just have to focus on getting Elliott to her potential," Matt said. And like any parents, Kris and Matt wanted what was best for their daughter, so she could reach that potential. But they soon learned that what was best for her wasn't necessarily best for their wallets. In fact, it was a real struggle. "Some things aren't covered by insurance," Kris said. Elliott needed multiple medications and a GJ tube to administer the medication. She also needed physical, occupational, and speech therapy a couple times a week, along with intensive therapy treatments in Minneapolis. Kris and Matt's lives soon became a tug-of-war with every bill. And plagued with patchy insurance plans, the question of "How am I going to pay for this?" was often asked in the Ferderer household, especially after what happened when they came back home. "When we got back home from Minneapolis, my wife, Kris, decided to end her twelve-year career and stay home and take care of Elliott, so we are now a single-income family," Matt said. Living from paycheck-to-paycheck was not a life Kris and Matt wanted for Elliott, or her brother. They needed a solution, fast. But it turned out that life had one more surprise for the Ferderer family. One of Elliott's therapists mentioned a new organization, CPABLE, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to families who have members with CP or other neurological conditions. So, Kris and Matt decided to apply. CPable: Helping families access more "It was pretty easy," Kris said. "It was all online, I would say it maybe took, like 15-20 minutes." And after those 20 minutes, life became a lot more simple for the two. "CPABLE comes in and has been able to help our family and as well as I know a lot of other families," Kris said. "It's helped our family tremendously." Now, Kris and Matt say they are able to change their focus from bills to what's most important, their children. And thanks to CPABLE, Elliott is making progress that Kris and Matt say they could've never anticipated. "It's just amazing to see all the kind of progress she is making, how quickly she is, and just how strong and resilient she is, and all the little kiddos with CP," Kris said. "Honestly, just her smile, her happiness," Matt said. "We know that we're doing the right thing." The Ferderer family continues to work towards the day that Elliott will be able to walk and talk on her own. If you're interested in donating or volunteering your time to help the efforts of CPABLE, head on over to K-X Net dot com.