Giving Independence to Timothy

Let me introduce you to my student Timothy and his incredible family. Timothy is a determined sassy young man with a strong will to be as independent as possible! He moved to La Habra, California in 2019 when he was in second grade and our staff was blessed to have him on our campus. A few years prior, he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most aggressive form of MS. During the same period, his mom was diagnosed with brain cancer. Timothy’s father became the primary caregiver to both until his mother was well enough to work again. Since then, his father has cared for Timothy; lifting him, assisting with his daily needs, and shuttling him to CHLA for appointments or tests. As Timothy has gotten older and grown, the physical nature of caring for him has become quite challenging for his father.

When Timothy enrolled at our school, he could walk with the help of a peer for balance. However, within a few months, he lost that ability and determinedly crawled around the classroom to participate. Anything he could do independently, he would! Over the years, his motor abilities continued to deteriorate. Usually, he is lifted in and out of a van by his father and put into a regular wheelchair several times a day. Within three months he went from pushing his own wheelchair to needing someone to push the wheelchair for him. This was disheartening for Timothy because his independence is important to him and now his movement is controlled by someone else. A few months ago, Timothy received an electrical chair and was finally going to have his independence back. However, when the chair arrived, the family realized he would only be able to use it around his apartment because it weighs over 200 pounds and cannot be lifted in and out of the van freely.

This leads me to this incredible family’s current situation. This year alone Timothy’s dad was in two accidents and had minor surgery on his heart. Then, a few weeks ago, Mr. Kim had a stroke. This required Mrs. Kim to stop working to care for Timothy. She is not able to lift him in and out of the van by herself and needs support. Currently, she has neighbors to help her get him in the van at home, but she must wait for assistance when arriving at any destination with him. When Mr. Kim returns home, she will also be taking care of him. Because Mrs. Kim must now be the primary caregiver, the family is without any source of income until Mr. Kim recovers enough to resume caring for Timothy, which could be months. While this situation leaves the family in dire straits financially it also pushes the need even more for a wheelchair-accessible van so his mom can get him where he needs to go without having to rely on others. Having a wheelchair-accessible van will allow Timothy to continue to be as independent as possible as well as help his family get him in and out of the van without assistance.

The Kim family is the most grateful, kind-hearted and pure family. Everyone on our campus knows Timothy because he lights up a room with his tenacity, playful attitude, and witty personality. He is quite charming! In addition, Timothy cares deeply for others as well as his family and this has been incredibly challenging for him. With your support, we hope to raise enough money to buy him a wheelchair-accessible van which would truly be a blessing for Timothy and his family.