Megan started with a Cricut Expression in 2009. Why a Cricut? She could do schoolwork like science projects and type but her teachers wanted the traditional display board with objective, materials, etc., on the trifold boards, which meant that Erin, her younger sister and I, made the boards. I felt the Cricut Expression would allow her to type the letters on the machine, cut and then use the glue stick – and other than some help gluing it on the board, she was able to finally do the project herself. The Cricut Expression helped level the playing field so to speak for a person who was disabled.
Since our family was very involved in local charities, Megan was asked to make signs for the charities – signs for raffles, basket to auction off, and more. The signs were able to be used more than once and it allowed her to take part in volunteering.
In 2010, as Megan’s scoliosis got worse and began to affect her lung and heart function, she was slated for a spinal fusion. The surgery was risky and would take a long recovery. I entered Megan in the Cricut-sponsored contest “The Next Big Thing” which was the secret launch of the Cricut Imagine. We simply had to say whom you felt deserved the next big thing, so I wrote about Megan and the stuff she made to give away and how she was having surgery and whatever the next big thing was, it would help her with recovery. I received a call a few weeks before her surgery from Cricut. Matt W. (CMO) and Jim T. (CEO) shared that Megan was a finalist and wanted to interview her and the other finalists to see who would win. They flew from Utah, along with a camera crew, and as we answered the door they shared that Megan was one of two grand prize winners! They gave her a trial run with a Cricut Imagine prototype – it wasn’t even available yet! They also gave her another Expression, along with several other machines (Cuttlebug, etc.) to share with her school, and even gave a machine to the young college girls who helped Megan make cards at the time! The generosity was overwhelming.
A short time later, was the official Imagine launch – an event in Chicago – where the machine was first debuted to Members, as well as the commercial showing Megan using it to created, along with hundreds of others. Through the tears, less than 72 hours before life changing surgery, we saw the love of Cricut creators, all of whom wished Megan well. All through her recovery she used her machine to make cards for people thanking them. Megan also started to make cards for veterans to thank them for their service and would carry them everywhere we went – stores, charity events, etc. – so she could hand then out to veterans she met along the way.