A Van for Jason: Enhancing His Quality of Life

Hello all, my name is Jessica Fales. I am the stepmother and legal guardian of the cute guy in the picture, Mr. Jason Rodriguez, who is a recent graduate and almost 21 years old. I have been blessed to have him in my life for the last 8 years, and we look forward to many more years.

I have started this GoFundMe because I have found a handicap van that we so desperately need. We have been looking for years for one at an affordable price because these vans are beyond expensive to buy new or finance, way out of the price range of a fixed income. We have looked, searched, and applied for so many different resources, charities, and churches to try and obtain aid with transportation for Jason with no luck. We feel as if it keeps falling on deaf ears; it makes it feel as if no one understands the struggle it is on a daily basis.

Jason is 21 years old and a full-sized grown man. He has been diagnosed since about 6 months of age with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which comes with many side effects. Transferring him in and out of a normal vehicle is becoming dangerous and painful for both him and us as we are aging too. (Too bad we weren't superheroes) lol. The lack of handicap-accessible transportation for him drastically lowers his quality of life. There are so many places he wants to go, things he wants to do, and stuff he wants to see that we are not able to do simply because we cannot transport his wheelchair at all. Unlike when he was little, we cannot carry him any longer.

The van I have found is not new but has much life and love left in it and would greatly aid a better quality of life for him. Maybe we could take him on a vacation for the first time in his life. The person selling the vehicle is willing to work with me on the price, but it will not last long as these vans go quickly. Our family is on a fixed budget as his care is 24/7, which puts a financial strain on our family. I am also a full-time student currently doing clinical rotations. I am praying creating this may fall on the kindest, most understanding hearts. Every penny counts and could help me make a dream come true for a kid that deserves the world. To know him is to know love. Please donate, share, send me a resource that could help me, or pray for us. Thanks for reading this far. God bless.