A Van for Travis -Now a car seat for Liliy!

I am starting this campaign for Emma, a young single mother to 2 medically fragile children: Travis, age 8 and Lily, age 4. They are both on ventilators and feeding tubes, are unable to sit up, walk or even move their heads or hold them up without support. They have no known diagnosis, so there is no prognosis. She is the most amazing mother ever! She is currently renting a house from the father, Rob, who sees the kids several times a week. The kids have around16 hours of in home nursing care, the other 8 are managed by Emma and her parents, who moved in to help with the incredibly exhausting demands. The grandfather is the only full time worker. Emma is working a small part time job when the nurses are there to care for the kids.  Just meeting the day to day expenses is a challenge, and there is simply no room in the budget for a van payment. The family currently only has 2 working vehicles for the 3 adults. 

The house is very small and not handicap accessible, so the motorized wheelchairs stay in the garage in the cold Chicago winters. Both children attend school, so they have to be carried to the wheelchairs before boarding the specially outfitted bus. The kids are on the floor when they are home, and are given sponge baths, as there is no accessible bathroom.

But the BIGGEST issue is transportation. They need a van that can hold 2 wheelchairs, all the medical equipment, 2 adults to support their medical needs, and a driver. At this time they have no vehicle that can transport them, making it difficult to get to critical doctor appointments. They cannot use an ambulance for medical appointments, as they only transport patients from medical facilities, not from personal residences. The state medicaid program will not pay for any type of transportation. If one of them becomes ill while at school, they have to wait until the bus can get them home. While medical care is a critical need, they are also missing any opportunity to attend family gatherings, or to enjoy any kind of social outing that is so important to bring some joy to their lives.

This is Emma with Travis at a school function. 

The kids hanging out at Christmas.

The family always goes all out for birthdays, with elaborate themes. 

Here is Lily being held by her aunt at that same birthday party. 


This is an amazing family, who desperately needs help.  A used van would be a miracle, but they truly need a van that is reliable with a warranty, as they simply cannot afford repairs. While $75,000 is a large sum,  it would go toward the cost of van and hopefully also allow for some improvements to make the home more accessible. If everyone who reads this would contribute $5-$10, it could make a tremendous difference for this family. Their need is urgent. Please Share!