Deana's Wheelchair Van Fund

There are many words that can be used to describe Deana – Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Movie Lover, Diabetic, Special Olympian, Hard Worker.  But don’t ever call her handicapped – call her handi-capable.  Deana needs your help to improve the quality of not only her life, but her mother Linda’s life as well.  Linda has selflessly cared for Deana all 44 years of her life, and at the age of 66, Linda simply can’t do it by herself any longer.  After a failed attempt at placing Deana in a group home for other special needs adults, Deana is back at home where she belongs.  Linda would love for Deana to live at home permanently, but the physical nature of the help that Deana needs is very hard on Linda.  One of the ways to help alleviate some of the physical stress on Linda is to find an easier way to get Deana to and from places.  That is why Linda and Deana are asking for donations to help them buy a Wheelchair Van, complete with a wheelchair lift.  This will change Deana and Linda’s life incredibly, improving both Linda’s health and Deana’s well-being.  A wheel chair van will provide a new level of independence for Deana that she has never known before.  As of right now, anytime Deana needs to go somewhere, her mother Linda must take on the daunting task and ritual of getting Deana inside the family car.  Inside their home, Deana is able to use an electronic wheelchair, but this chair cannot leave the house as there is no way to transport it.  Therefore, when Deana ventures out into the world she uses her manual wheelchair.  Linda starts the task by having Deana wheel out into the garage.  From there, the passenger door is opened, and Deana must wheel up as close as possible to the door frame.  Deana then lifts herself by placing her hands at the top of the open door, and holds on for dear life while Linda scoots the wheelchair back and goes to stand behind Deana.  Deana’s Cerebral Palsy makes it nearly impossible for her to stand straight enough to get into the car seat on her own.  At this point, Linda helps Deana swivel her backside into the car, then Linda pushes Deana’s legs in, twists her around straight, and has to physically hold Deana’s legs steady as she tries to push herself upright.  Getting out of the car is no day at the beach, either, because Linda must lift the 30lb wheelchair out of the trunk each time Deana gets out of the car.  Then the process is reversed as Deana and Linda work together as best they can to get her safely from the car to the wheelchair.  This exhausting work taxes her mother’s back incredibly, and has caused her several back and knee problems.  If Deana had a wheelchair van, this burden would be lifted immediately!!  Deana would have the ability to simply drive her electric wheelchair from the house and into the van with no lifting necessary from Linda.  This will be a life saver to them, because Linda cannot do the physical work of lifting Deana much longer.  If you can find it in your heart to give, PLEASE DO!  Please share this page with ANY person or company you may personally know that would be willing and able to donate.  Any donation is extremely needed and appreciated.  Please read below for more information on Linda and Deana.

About Deana:

Deana was born in 1971, the 4th daughter of Linda and David Barnes.  Deana was born 7 weeks premature, and had a twin brother, David, who only lived a few short and bittersweet hours.  Because Deana was so premature, she developed Cerebral Palsy that was diagnosed when she was 8 months old.  This diagnosis meant that Deana would never walk or run like other children, has decreased mental capabilities, and suffered seizures until the age of 12.  Shortly after Deana quit having seizures, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  Both the Cerebral Palsy and diabetes would be hard for any parenting team to deal with, but in 1983 Linda was forced to deal with it all on her own, when her husband abandoned their family.  Linda was a single working mother of 4, and credits her other daughters, Lisa, Denise, and DeAnn, with helping out in any way that they could with raising Deana.  Linda knows that she missed out on a lot during their childhood years because all of her time was focused on working and putting Deana first.  Before Deana graduated high school, she participated in the Special Olympics several times.  She is also a dedicated and hardworking employee at Metrocrest Rehabilitation Center, where she has worked continually for the last 17 years.  Deana LOVES movies and books, and one her favorite things to do with her mom is go shopping.  After being a single mother for nearly 15 years, Linda remarried in 2000.  The wheelchair van will make going out on the town, going to doctors’ appointments, and traveling much less of a physical burden for Deana and Linda.  In Linda’s words, “The most rewarding thing (in my life) is Deana. She can be stubborn and hard to deal with sometimes, but we are really close and share some good times.”  Please help improve the life of Deana and Linda by making a donation today.  ANY and ALL help is appreciated!