Chris and his family need your help
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PLEASE HELP US GET A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VAN FOR CHRIS
Hi, we are the family of Chris Ehler and would appreciate you taking the time to read Chris’ story. Our family is hoping to gain help to increase Chris’ quality of life.
My husband Chris Ehler is 48yrs old. He is an only child and lucky to be here. His Mom and Dad got married in 1969 and his Mom became pregnant with him shortly afterwards. Unfortunately he never got to meet his Dad. He was killed in a car accident when his Mom was only 2 months pregnant with him. His Mom usually always went with his Dad, but this particular day she didn’t go because she was working. His Mom had a big family for support and focused on her work. Chris was the center of her universe and she was the center of his.
When Chris turned 4, his Mom got together with his father’s brother. They got married 13 years later. Chris had a good childhood but turbulent at times. He was into a lot sports, starting at a young age. Receiving his first MVP trophy at the age of 5. When turned 14 he got the worse news of his life. His Mom had been losing balance and having numbness and tingling for quite some time. She was then diagnosed with MS. It was earth shattering for everyone involved, but for Chris, a 14yr old boy, whose mother was his rock, it was everything came crashing down around him. He prayed to God asking him to give the MS to him and take it away from her. He was angry, livid and didn’t care about much of anything. He couldn’t understand how God could let this happen to her.
As a teenager he took care of his Mom a lot. He watched this terrible disease take her little by little.
In 1994 Chris and the love of his life, me Laura Lee, got married. We had a son, Nicholas in 1998 (going in 3rd year university). Then a daughter, Maddie in 2001 (going in grade 12). Lucky enough Chris’ Mom got to meet her only grandchildren.
On Jan.6 2002, Chris’ Mom, finally succumbing to this evil disease passed away at the early age of 54 due to complications with MS. About 2 months after his Mom passing away, Chris seen a flashing light in his vision, then tingling and pins and needles in his toes on his right foot, then the next day it was in both feet and next going up both his legs. He knew, even though this horrible affliction is not supposed to be hereditary, he knew this was not normal and wasn’t going to be good. His doctor referred him to a Neurologist in Halifax a few months later. They did an MRI, we got the results back a couple of weeks later and his worse fear had become reality. What he had helped his Mom get through, he was going to have to go through himself now. He was scared for himself and his family and our future.
Chris kept his chin up, kept working and playing sports as usual with just a little pain. He received his last trophy in 2006 (the last of over 100 trophies and metals for many different sports).
Chris was a supervisor at a leather factory since 1994. In 2005 he was laid off and went back to school. He took Human Services. Right after graduation Chris became a Teaching Assistant with the S.R.S.B. He worked for only 3 years and then had to stop working because he MS was getting worse.
Chris has had MS for 16 ½ years now. He has been in a wheelchair for over 6 years. He is having great difficulty transferring from the wheelchair to the car, the bed, the couch and the toilet. He is in constant pain 24/7 from head to toe. He has been seen by a pain specialist in Halifax and they have tried so many different medications and nothing has helped with his pain. He does travel to Antigonish for a once a month drug infusion that is suppose to slow progression, but he has been getting worse.
Chris also fell a few years ago and fractured 3 vertebrae. His back still bothers him, so that makes the transfers even harder.
A wheelchair accessible van would mean so much to our family. Chris would be able to go again to things he loves and still enjoys. Like the movies, weekly crib tournaments, his sons baseball games, his daughters dance recitals, visit friends and family, a stroll on the Halifax waterfront, the farmer’s markets, got to medical appointments here and in Halifax, and maybe even a dance.
If Chris had an accessible van, he wouldn’t have to transfer from his wheelchair to the car. He could just stay in the power wheelchair and drive it into the van, or if we could get a van where the passenger front seat comes out of the van, he could easily sit in the front seat without much difficulty. It would eliminate the chance of falling, banging his head and bruising his arms from trying to get into the car. It would help me, as it would be so much easier to take him places. I have my own medical conditions and it makes it hard for me too. It would be easier for his son and daughter (who our daughter also has a medical condition and we almost lost her 4 ½ years ago but that’s another story) are both a big help. To go anywhere we have to push him in the manual wheelchair which can be a task. Things you don’t think of like gravel, bumps, hills etc. If Chris sits too long in his manual wheelchair, his legs get even more weak and pain gets worse. Right now transfers to the car are almost impossible.
Having GoFundMe means so much to us for all of these reasons. We would be so, so, grateful to have the wheelchair accessible van. Chris would gain some of his independence back. It has been very traumatic for Chris to not be able to play sports, go places and having to rely on others, esp. since we don’t have much family to help. He is tired of being confined to these 4 walls and can’t wait to gain some independence and become more social again.
Please donate to help make our families dream come true and give some quality of life back to Chris. Spread the to your friends, family, co-workers etc.! Anyone you would like to share this amazing story with.
Thank you so, so, so, much from the bottom of our hearts for your support!!!!!!!
Remember to SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
The Ehler family
Hi, we are the family of Chris Ehler and would appreciate you taking the time to read Chris’ story. Our family is hoping to gain help to increase Chris’ quality of life.
My husband Chris Ehler is 48yrs old. He is an only child and lucky to be here. His Mom and Dad got married in 1969 and his Mom became pregnant with him shortly afterwards. Unfortunately he never got to meet his Dad. He was killed in a car accident when his Mom was only 2 months pregnant with him. His Mom usually always went with his Dad, but this particular day she didn’t go because she was working. His Mom had a big family for support and focused on her work. Chris was the center of her universe and she was the center of his.
When Chris turned 4, his Mom got together with his father’s brother. They got married 13 years later. Chris had a good childhood but turbulent at times. He was into a lot sports, starting at a young age. Receiving his first MVP trophy at the age of 5. When turned 14 he got the worse news of his life. His Mom had been losing balance and having numbness and tingling for quite some time. She was then diagnosed with MS. It was earth shattering for everyone involved, but for Chris, a 14yr old boy, whose mother was his rock, it was everything came crashing down around him. He prayed to God asking him to give the MS to him and take it away from her. He was angry, livid and didn’t care about much of anything. He couldn’t understand how God could let this happen to her.
As a teenager he took care of his Mom a lot. He watched this terrible disease take her little by little.
In 1994 Chris and the love of his life, me Laura Lee, got married. We had a son, Nicholas in 1998 (going in 3rd year university). Then a daughter, Maddie in 2001 (going in grade 12). Lucky enough Chris’ Mom got to meet her only grandchildren.
On Jan.6 2002, Chris’ Mom, finally succumbing to this evil disease passed away at the early age of 54 due to complications with MS. About 2 months after his Mom passing away, Chris seen a flashing light in his vision, then tingling and pins and needles in his toes on his right foot, then the next day it was in both feet and next going up both his legs. He knew, even though this horrible affliction is not supposed to be hereditary, he knew this was not normal and wasn’t going to be good. His doctor referred him to a Neurologist in Halifax a few months later. They did an MRI, we got the results back a couple of weeks later and his worse fear had become reality. What he had helped his Mom get through, he was going to have to go through himself now. He was scared for himself and his family and our future.
Chris kept his chin up, kept working and playing sports as usual with just a little pain. He received his last trophy in 2006 (the last of over 100 trophies and metals for many different sports).
Chris was a supervisor at a leather factory since 1994. In 2005 he was laid off and went back to school. He took Human Services. Right after graduation Chris became a Teaching Assistant with the S.R.S.B. He worked for only 3 years and then had to stop working because he MS was getting worse.
Chris has had MS for 16 ½ years now. He has been in a wheelchair for over 6 years. He is having great difficulty transferring from the wheelchair to the car, the bed, the couch and the toilet. He is in constant pain 24/7 from head to toe. He has been seen by a pain specialist in Halifax and they have tried so many different medications and nothing has helped with his pain. He does travel to Antigonish for a once a month drug infusion that is suppose to slow progression, but he has been getting worse.
Chris also fell a few years ago and fractured 3 vertebrae. His back still bothers him, so that makes the transfers even harder.
A wheelchair accessible van would mean so much to our family. Chris would be able to go again to things he loves and still enjoys. Like the movies, weekly crib tournaments, his sons baseball games, his daughters dance recitals, visit friends and family, a stroll on the Halifax waterfront, the farmer’s markets, got to medical appointments here and in Halifax, and maybe even a dance.
If Chris had an accessible van, he wouldn’t have to transfer from his wheelchair to the car. He could just stay in the power wheelchair and drive it into the van, or if we could get a van where the passenger front seat comes out of the van, he could easily sit in the front seat without much difficulty. It would eliminate the chance of falling, banging his head and bruising his arms from trying to get into the car. It would help me, as it would be so much easier to take him places. I have my own medical conditions and it makes it hard for me too. It would be easier for his son and daughter (who our daughter also has a medical condition and we almost lost her 4 ½ years ago but that’s another story) are both a big help. To go anywhere we have to push him in the manual wheelchair which can be a task. Things you don’t think of like gravel, bumps, hills etc. If Chris sits too long in his manual wheelchair, his legs get even more weak and pain gets worse. Right now transfers to the car are almost impossible.
Having GoFundMe means so much to us for all of these reasons. We would be so, so, grateful to have the wheelchair accessible van. Chris would gain some of his independence back. It has been very traumatic for Chris to not be able to play sports, go places and having to rely on others, esp. since we don’t have much family to help. He is tired of being confined to these 4 walls and can’t wait to gain some independence and become more social again.
Please donate to help make our families dream come true and give some quality of life back to Chris. Spread the to your friends, family, co-workers etc.! Anyone you would like to share this amazing story with.
Thank you so, so, so, much from the bottom of our hearts for your support!!!!!!!
Remember to SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
The Ehler family
Organizer
Laura Lee Ehler
Organizer
Afton Station, NS