Wheelchair accessible van needed!
Donation protected
Hello...my name is Jocelyn and I am a very busy full time single mom of three boys, Liam (9), Brayden (almost 8) and Cameron (5). Liam and Brayden were born with a genetic disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The protein that is responsible for repairing and rebuilding their muscles is missing, so as time goes by, they are becoming weaker and eventually they will lose the ability to move all of their voluntary muscles; some day, they will be unable to breathe on their own. There is no cure for this disease. Liam and Brayden both have multiple exceptionalities and thus, I am constantly at appointments, doing my best to improve their quality of life and along with the DMD comes many other appointments as it is a very complex disease, affecting much more than just the muscles.
Liam and Brayden both use wheelchairs to get around therefore we are in need of a wheelchair accessible van. Right now I have a regular minivan, but it is a huge struggle for me to go places. In order to fit two wheelchairs in my van, I have to break them down and some how find a way for them to fit in the trunk of the van, which of course leaves me with no trunk space. The wheelchairs are very heavy for me as I too struggle with some muscle weakness due to being a carrier of this disease. I am constantly at risk of hurting myself with the lifting of the wheelchairs and the lifting of the boys who are only going to get heavier. I am afraid one of these times, I may permanently injure myself and I need to be in good physical condition to care for my boys for many years to come. Even more importantly, the less lifting of the boys I do, the less likely I am to hurt them. Liam has had a couple of fractures (broken bones) and he also has some compression fractures in his spine and it hurts him when I lift him.
Having this van will really improve the quality of the boys' lives. It will be easier to get them around so they do not miss out on so much. It is pretty awkward to push two wheelchairs and hold a five year old's hand....believe me I have tried it! Without the assistance of another adult, it is next to impossible for me to take these boys anywhere on my own which leaves us feeling very isolated at times. I plan on getting a power chair for Liam so he can be more independent and get himself around but I cannot do this until we have the proper vehicle.
A wheelchair accessible van is extremely expensive. I have exhausted all of the funding from charities available to my family to help out with this expense but I am still short $15,000.
Please help me to make it easier to get these little guys around. I really appreciate you taking the time to read our story and would be grateful for any donations toward our wheelchair accessible van.
Sincerely,
Jocelyn, Liam, Brayden and Cameron
Liam and Brayden both use wheelchairs to get around therefore we are in need of a wheelchair accessible van. Right now I have a regular minivan, but it is a huge struggle for me to go places. In order to fit two wheelchairs in my van, I have to break them down and some how find a way for them to fit in the trunk of the van, which of course leaves me with no trunk space. The wheelchairs are very heavy for me as I too struggle with some muscle weakness due to being a carrier of this disease. I am constantly at risk of hurting myself with the lifting of the wheelchairs and the lifting of the boys who are only going to get heavier. I am afraid one of these times, I may permanently injure myself and I need to be in good physical condition to care for my boys for many years to come. Even more importantly, the less lifting of the boys I do, the less likely I am to hurt them. Liam has had a couple of fractures (broken bones) and he also has some compression fractures in his spine and it hurts him when I lift him.
Having this van will really improve the quality of the boys' lives. It will be easier to get them around so they do not miss out on so much. It is pretty awkward to push two wheelchairs and hold a five year old's hand....believe me I have tried it! Without the assistance of another adult, it is next to impossible for me to take these boys anywhere on my own which leaves us feeling very isolated at times. I plan on getting a power chair for Liam so he can be more independent and get himself around but I cannot do this until we have the proper vehicle.
A wheelchair accessible van is extremely expensive. I have exhausted all of the funding from charities available to my family to help out with this expense but I am still short $15,000.
Please help me to make it easier to get these little guys around. I really appreciate you taking the time to read our story and would be grateful for any donations toward our wheelchair accessible van.
Sincerely,
Jocelyn, Liam, Brayden and Cameron
Organizer
Jocelyn Agnew
Organizer
Oshawa, ON
