A Wheelchair Van for Kaitlyn's Appointments

Hello, my name is Matthew, and I am starting this GoFundMe for my daughter, Kaitlyn Roby. This is actually very difficult for us, as we are a close, tight-knit family, and we do not ask for help. The past couple of years have brought some very unexpected challenges, from medical and health issues to life issues in general. I won't get into everything, but will tell you the current situation. In June of 2024, my wife Dianna was hospitalized with an unknown sickness while we were trying to go on a family vacation in Orlando, Florida. Instead of spending 5 days in Disneyworld with Kaitlyn, we wound up staying in the hospital in Orlando. After a week of testing, they were not able to pin down what the issue was. So, we came back home to Houston and followed up with her doctor here. Dianna has always been the primary caregiver for our daughter. Since June of last year, she has not been able to do as much for Kaitlyn, and I, Matthew, have done my best to take on a larger role in this aspect. Dianna was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, which is a disease that affects the nervous system and possibly her organs. She is under the care of some of the BEST doctors in the nation from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Due to this, she is not able to move Kaitlyn to and from her chair, or from her chair to the van, or even from her chair to and from bed. This has all become my responsibility, and I happily take this on. Now, the doctors believe they may have found an issue with Dianna's heart, and this will limit her even more. Evidently, her heart is currently only operating at 44%, which is a total shock to all of us. We will get through this with the help of some great doctors; it is just going to be a long road.

So, let me tell you about our beautiful daughter. Kaitlyn is 33 years old and suffers from Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (since birth). Kaitlyn is confined to a wheelchair and is paralyzed from the waist down. She has limited mobility in her upper body but is a determined young lady and does as much for herself as possible. Kaitlyn herself has had her share of challenges, not only her entire life but specifically over the past year or so. Kaitlyn has had to go to many, many doctor appointments for tests and procedures. Most of her doctors are in downtown Houston, over an hour away. So that brings us to our reason for this. We currently have a wheelchair van that is used to transport Kaitlyn to all of her appointments. It is a 2013 Dodge, with 145,000 plus miles. The bigger issue is that the van has become a bit of a concern as far as reliability and dependability. We have put a lot of money into this van; however, due to not only Kaitlyn's condition but now Dianna's diagnosis, we NEED to replace this van. We have known for a while that we really need to purchase a new wheelchair vehicle to be sure we can continue to move Kaitlyn to all of her appointments and be a reliable vehicle for Dianna to be able to do this on her own, as she has in the past. We have been shopping for some time, and the cost of such a vehicle with the modifications that Kaitlyn would need is just astronomical! We have found a USED 2022 vehicle, with the conversion already from a local dealer. However, after some modifications to make it comfortable for Kaitlyn, the cost is approximately $63,000! A new one is over $100,000! So, we are only doing this GoFundMe as a suggestion from the mobility dealer that we are working with. They let us know that this is a suggestion that they tell their customers about. It is very difficult for us.

What we are hoping is that this post will get some traction, and hopefully, maybe a corporation or individual would find it in their heart to be able to offer any assistance possible. If we can meet our goal that we have set, then we will be able to continue to get Kaitlyn to all of her appointments, as well as easing the massive burden on Dianna.

Ideally, we would like to be able to purchase a new (used) wheelchair vehicle, finance what we can't raise, and then be able to donate our current van to a family in great need! That would really be the best outcome. If we could help another family with a gift, that would be amazing! So, in closing, if you read all of this, thank you. If you are a person that is close to us, then you know how hard this is for all of us to post. We have never asked for anything like this. Thank you.