Ariana's Path to Freedom Needs Your Help

I am Stephanie, Ariana’s mother, coming to you humbled and pride-less to ask for help for Ariana to gain independence and mobility with a wheelchair-accessible van. Ariana Rose is an eight-year-old girl about to turn nine in August. She is in third grade and loves learning. She is the apple of all of our family and friends, her father and I eyes.

Ariana was born at 29 weeks due to placenta abruption. She was only 2 pounds and 12 ounces. Because of that, at five weeks old, she was diagnosed with a condition called spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Being the most severe form of CP, it affects all four of her limbs and her trunk. She gets very tight and stiff muscles all throughout her body. It also affects her nervous system, which, as a result, affects movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. Therefore, Ariana cannot sit unassisted, stand, or walk, requiring a wheelchair.

Long story short, Ariana has been faced with adversity since birth and has a “never give up” attitude. She truly lights up every room she walks into and is very much a social butterfly with a constant smile on her face. She is so sweet, smart, kind, and always thinks of others first.

So, as a very special gift, she was gifted a motorized wheelchair from her school, between her school therapist and a very special family whose son with the same condition had outgrown it and didn’t need it anymore. Saying we were excited is an understatement. She loves it so much and drives it every day all around the yard and the driveway. It warms our hearts seeing her confidence grow as she’s driving it and being able to go where she wants to go.

However, the issue is that it is very heavy because of the battery and the motor on it. I believe it is almost 600 pounds. It cannot be transported in a regular vehicle, and we would love to see her use it outside of our home and have freedom. Currently, her father and Iown a sedan, so the attached ramp didn’t work for us because of the weight.

So, to ensure we support her mobility and independence as much as possible, the only barrier we have hit is being able to get a wheelchair-accessible van that can accommodate her needs, where she would be able to ride her chair right into it, lock it in, and off we go to our next adventure. We love being out everywhere and always. Ariana wants to go and see it.

We are currently shopping around for the best deal, and as wheelchair-accessible vans are very expensive, there are all different types, and there are used ones. That is the route we are going, but besides what we have already been saving and what we will continue to save, any additional help would be greatly appreciated.

Any additional help, whether a donation, which on its own is so greatly appreciated, or additional shares that only take a minute but mean the world to us.

Please trust me when I say we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I always say Ariana was our “miracle girl” as she is our one and only child. Well, let’s try to get her a “miracle” of freedom, inclusion, and mobility to go wherever she wants to go! ❤️

#LetsHelpAriana