Van 4 Kam
Kamryn Jade was born on December 14, 2000. At the age of eight months Kamryn was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Kamryn is unable to stand or walk on her own, does not have full use of her legs and arms and spends her days confined to a wheelchair. Kamryn is a bubbly and outgoing 12 year old who like any 12 year old is looking to obtain some sense of independence in her life. Her first step toward this was obtaining an electric wheelchair. This occurred in early 2010 and has given her the ability to move herself around in school and at home.
However, outside those two locations, Kamryn must still use a stroller. We are unable to afford a handicap accessible van in which the electric wheel chair can be transported. In addition to impeding Kamryn's quest for independence, the lack of a handicap van has also prevented Kamryn from getting out of her house and enjoying and exploring life in our community. She is essentially home bound without enduring the arduous task of moving Kamryn from the wheel chair into the car, which is becoming more and more difficult as Kamryn grows into an adult. Even with the use of the stroller, Kamryn is limited in her participation in community events, in exploring parks in the area, and enjoying local festivals and other recreational activities due to the difficulties in maneuvering and pushing a stroller.
A handicapped van would greatly benefit our family. Currently a used handicap van runs anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000, while a new van can cost up to $60,000. Both Chris and I are hardworking parents with full time jobs but the costs of obtaining a van is well beyond our means.
Our first step in correcting this situation is to raise money specifically to be used for the purchase of a handicapped van. Our goal of $10,000.00 is for a down payment so that we can bring the monthly van payments to a more reasonable amount.
Thanks so much for all your help we greatly appreciate anything you have to offer.