Hi my name is Danielle. I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my family (my Dad Leonard, and my siblings Roland, Damien, Rylee & Alyssa) for my Mom (Laura Fleming) to help fund home accessibility, accessible transport and mobility devices for my mom to maintain her daily functions at home. After nearly a year of health struggles and declining mobility, she has been diagnosed with ALS. With this diagnosis comes many changes, challenges and expenses. As well as many emotions.

Some of the things we are looking  to fundraise for and their associated costs are:
   1) An accessible washroom ($20,000-$30,000)
   2) A powered wheelchair ($7,500-$10,000)
   3) An accessible van ($50,000-$70,000)

Managing a diagnosis like ALS is heartbreaking enough without having to worry about how she can even get to the bathroom, or appointments or in and out of bed. So any help and support you are able to offer would mean the world to me and my family. Even if that support is simply to share this campaign with your friends and family. We appreciate all that everyone is already doing to help and support us. Thank you!


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For all of the below items, we are exploring different funding programs, grants and supports with the help of the ALS Society of Canada. We will likely be eligible for some funding but not sure exactly how much and we know there will still be significant out of pocket expenses simply to make daily functions possible for my Mom. Without funds to purchase the supports needed for my Mom, life will just continue to get more and more difficult. It's already incredibly difficult for my Mom to get around the house and even manage her basic daily functions without these items.

ACCESSIBLE WASHROOM

We are working hard to adapt my parent's home to make it accessible so that my parents can continue to live there. This requires us to have an accessible washroom put into their home. Currently getting to a washroom requires using a stair lift, which is becoming increasingly difficult day by day. As well, none of the washrooms in the home allow for accessible bathing. Adding an accessible washroom would allow my mom to get to a washroom and bathe, however we have been quoted $20,000-30,000 to renovate their home and install it. This is just one of many accessibility changes that will need to happen in their home, especially as her needs are constantly changing.

POWERED WHEELCHAIR

In order to allow my Mom ongoing mobility she will need a powered wheelchair. Her ALS specialist recommended that the wheelchair be measured and custom fit to her body as this is where she will spend the majority of her time. We want her to be able to spend her time in a way that isn't going to hurt her or make her uncomfortable. Fortunately, there is Government Funding for a large portion of this wheelchair. However, they will still be left to cover approximately $7,500-$10,000 in costs towards the wheelchair.

ACCESSIBLE VAN

Mom needs accessible transport in order to go anywhere including medical appointments. As my parents do not currently own a van, they will be required to either purchase a van (used vans are $30,000-$40,000) and convert it for another $20,000-$40,000, or purchase an already converted van ($50,000-$70,000). There is funding that mom can apply to and may be eligible for, however this funding is only available for vehicle conversion costs (up to $15,000). We do not know yet if she is eligible or for how much.

MORE INFO ON ALS

For anyone interested inearning more about ALS, it's symptoms and how the disease progresses, you can visit ALS Society of Canada online. 

https://als.ca/what-is-als/