Robin and Brandon Need a New Ride!!

Brandon and Robin were college sweethearts, living a carefree life as most college students do until a diving accident in 2003 left Brandon a C5/6 quadriplegic. Since this time, they have had to make several edits to their happy ever after story. They lived 120 miles apart for the first 3 years post injury (his parents had modified their home while he was in the hospital for accessibility), and Robin drove down to stay with him and his parents weekends while working third shift at a foster care home. During these visits, Robin learned the ins and outs of all the care needed for Brandon to remain well.

Robin took the plunge and moved in with Brandon and his parents after she landed a job as a mental health case manager near his hometown. Although he is thankfully eligible for assistant care for 40 hours per week, the remainder of this time has to be filled in by his loved ones.

After two years of living with Brandon's parents, and A LOT of careful planning,  they purchased their condo in 2008 and moved out on our own. This has come with its own set of challenges, testing their limits and abilities as both a couple and as a "caretaker/patient". This didn't dissuade them, though, from taking the ultimate leap...in July 2010 they were married. They wanted to wait and see if they could do all the "hard stuff" first, before making this huge commitment, and wouldn't change this for the world.

Robin remains employed full time as a case manager at Easter Seals Adult Mental Health, and takes the "second shift" at home. After a lot of trial and error, they have learned what it takes to be the couple they are today. Robin's salary and Brandon's disability payments allow them to make ends meet, but their current van is in sad shape and the cost of a new or used van is astronomical. Their van doesn't start reliably and has about 100,000 miles. They have taken it to several mechanics who cannot diagnose the problem. They have not been able to travel (near or far) without fear of a breakdown. This has caused them to miss out on several family functions, or even allow Brandon to simply run to the pharmacy.  You can imagine how small your world becomes with no access to reliable transportation.  Any assistance towards the cost of a newer vehicle would be life-changing for their family! It would allow them to travel with ease, and maybe even take a long-awaited honeymoon. Thank you for your consideration, and for sharing their story!