Act for Andre
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Helen and Andre is my brother, he is 17 years old.
I couldn’t wait any longer and watch my brother suffer not only with his Muscular Dystrophy condition but with our current home which is nothing more than an obstacle course for Andre and this just adds to his daily struggles.
Andre was diagnosed with his medical condition when he was 4 years old. He is such a sweet, kind and strong boy and you will always see him smiling despite the pain and suffering he is going through. My mother and I could never have imagined that Andre would have to live with this terrible muscle wasting condition.
Muscular Dystrophy is a catastrophic muscle wasting condition that causes muscle tissue to deteriorate. It mainly affects boys and robs them of their hopes; their dreams and ultimately their life. On average, between the ages of 8 - 12 years children with Muscular Dystrophy lose the ability to stand and walk and require a wheelchair. As the disease progresses they lose the ability to use their arms. If they live long enough they gradually become totally paralysed and require artificial respiratory support to breath.
Here is a little glimpse on my brother’s daily life to date.
Up until Andre was 15yrs old, he was still able to lift his arms up and to brush his teeth and feed himself, now in less than a year he can no longer do these things independently without the help of myself or my mother. My mum has had to become a full time carer for Andre and to help him with all his daily tasks (including dressing, washing, etc.). Due to our home not being accommodative for his condition, he has had no choice for the past 2 years but to sleep on an air mattress downstairs in the living room and of course it is not comfortable for him especially with his condition. He desperately needs the house to be adapted to his special physical needs as our house is completely unequipped for a disabled person.
Despite his physical condition, he is a very intelligent young man. He loves history, animal science and watching the National Geographic Channel. He also enjoys keeping up to date with Formula One racing, and of course his favourite racer is Lewis Hamilton.
Andre loves playing football since he was a young kid and when he was able to run and kick the ball with his friends before his muscular condition started to deteriorate from the age of 9. His favourite teams are Barcelona FC and Chelsea, he is a big fan of them and always wears his teams’ jerseys for every match that they play.
From the age of 12, Andre was no longer able to stand nor walk. His favourite thing to do; kicking the ball with his friends came to a sad end. Discovering power soccer and being able to go and play in a team with wheelchair users like himself, to play his favourite sport was a dream come true. However, unfortunately, because we have no wheelchair accessible car, he is unable to go to his weekly trainings as much as he would love to and cannot go competing in power soccer competitions nor accept the upgrade to play with a professional power soccer club. Not only that, not having a wheelchair accessible car sets back Andre’s social and civil rights; he can not meet up with his friends in other locations or go to trips down the country with family and friends. His movement is restricted massively without the flexibility of a wheelchair car.
It would be a big freedom for Andre to be able to comfortably enjoy his life and pursue his power soccer passion and develop socially as a young man his age would.
This is why I am making this fundraiser to help adapt our home for my brother’s physical disability needs and to buy a wheelchair accessible car for Andre.
All the money will go towards:
- building the house extension for Andre’s wheelchair accessible bedroom with his wet room and changing area.
- build a fully equipped disabled bathroom for him with a ceiling hoist.
- buying a hoist and track system that can lift Andre and transport him around his room and in & out of his bathroom and changing area.
- providing him with a student desk and computer in his bedroom so he can study for his Leaving Cert and continue with his third level studies.
- a wheelchair accessible car where my brother can be driven to his medical appointments and to & from his power soccer weekly trainings and to be able to socialise and visit his family & friends.
This is an urgent appeal, Andre’s life is precious and no more time can be wasted. He deserves and needs an adequate adapted home to his physical needs and a vehicle that can transport him.
We would appreciate any support.
We believe that with God’s help and the generosity of kind people, we will be able to achieve these goals and improve Andre’s quality of life across all areas.
Many thanks,
Helen
I couldn’t wait any longer and watch my brother suffer not only with his Muscular Dystrophy condition but with our current home which is nothing more than an obstacle course for Andre and this just adds to his daily struggles.
Andre was diagnosed with his medical condition when he was 4 years old. He is such a sweet, kind and strong boy and you will always see him smiling despite the pain and suffering he is going through. My mother and I could never have imagined that Andre would have to live with this terrible muscle wasting condition.
Muscular Dystrophy is a catastrophic muscle wasting condition that causes muscle tissue to deteriorate. It mainly affects boys and robs them of their hopes; their dreams and ultimately their life. On average, between the ages of 8 - 12 years children with Muscular Dystrophy lose the ability to stand and walk and require a wheelchair. As the disease progresses they lose the ability to use their arms. If they live long enough they gradually become totally paralysed and require artificial respiratory support to breath.
Here is a little glimpse on my brother’s daily life to date.
Up until Andre was 15yrs old, he was still able to lift his arms up and to brush his teeth and feed himself, now in less than a year he can no longer do these things independently without the help of myself or my mother. My mum has had to become a full time carer for Andre and to help him with all his daily tasks (including dressing, washing, etc.). Due to our home not being accommodative for his condition, he has had no choice for the past 2 years but to sleep on an air mattress downstairs in the living room and of course it is not comfortable for him especially with his condition. He desperately needs the house to be adapted to his special physical needs as our house is completely unequipped for a disabled person.
Despite his physical condition, he is a very intelligent young man. He loves history, animal science and watching the National Geographic Channel. He also enjoys keeping up to date with Formula One racing, and of course his favourite racer is Lewis Hamilton.
Andre loves playing football since he was a young kid and when he was able to run and kick the ball with his friends before his muscular condition started to deteriorate from the age of 9. His favourite teams are Barcelona FC and Chelsea, he is a big fan of them and always wears his teams’ jerseys for every match that they play.
From the age of 12, Andre was no longer able to stand nor walk. His favourite thing to do; kicking the ball with his friends came to a sad end. Discovering power soccer and being able to go and play in a team with wheelchair users like himself, to play his favourite sport was a dream come true. However, unfortunately, because we have no wheelchair accessible car, he is unable to go to his weekly trainings as much as he would love to and cannot go competing in power soccer competitions nor accept the upgrade to play with a professional power soccer club. Not only that, not having a wheelchair accessible car sets back Andre’s social and civil rights; he can not meet up with his friends in other locations or go to trips down the country with family and friends. His movement is restricted massively without the flexibility of a wheelchair car.
It would be a big freedom for Andre to be able to comfortably enjoy his life and pursue his power soccer passion and develop socially as a young man his age would.
This is why I am making this fundraiser to help adapt our home for my brother’s physical disability needs and to buy a wheelchair accessible car for Andre.
All the money will go towards:
- building the house extension for Andre’s wheelchair accessible bedroom with his wet room and changing area.
- build a fully equipped disabled bathroom for him with a ceiling hoist.
- buying a hoist and track system that can lift Andre and transport him around his room and in & out of his bathroom and changing area.
- providing him with a student desk and computer in his bedroom so he can study for his Leaving Cert and continue with his third level studies.
- a wheelchair accessible car where my brother can be driven to his medical appointments and to & from his power soccer weekly trainings and to be able to socialise and visit his family & friends.
This is an urgent appeal, Andre’s life is precious and no more time can be wasted. He deserves and needs an adequate adapted home to his physical needs and a vehicle that can transport him.
We would appreciate any support.
We believe that with God’s help and the generosity of kind people, we will be able to achieve these goals and improve Andre’s quality of life across all areas.
Many thanks,
Helen
Organizer
Helen Vysotska
Organizer
County Dublin
