Please Help Me Get To The Super Bowl!
Donation protected
My name is Christian Hallgren, I am 38, and I have Muscular Dystrophy. I have a dream of going to the Super Bowl. I desperately need your help to make this happen. What makes my situation unique is that I have to go to THIS Super Bowl in New Jersey this year or else I will never get to a Super Bowl. My disability is so progressed that I can no longer fly. Every year the Super Bowl is in a warm weather location. This is the first time it is in the cold Northeast and it is only a 2 hours drive from me, here in the Philadelphia area. My Muscular Dystrophy has so severely progressed that I am confined to a wheelchair and have a trach on which I rely to breathe with a ventilator (which also prevents me from physically being able to speak). I cannot fly because my body is constricted into one position which makes it severely painful to be transferred from my wheelchair into an airplane.
At the age of 38, I am one of the oldest people with Muscular Dystrophy. My brother Jason, who had the same condition, passed away two years ago at the same age of 38. God has truly blessed me to have made it this long but as my condition continues to worsen, it limits my chances drastically of making it to a future Super Bowl close to me which is why I need to go to this one in New Jersey.
With my limited contacts, I've tried to get in touch with someone who could help but have not been successful. I desperately want my situation to get to the right person who could possibly help me get tickets and fulfill this dream I've had my entire life. Possibly someone within the NFL, New York Giants or Jets organizations, Seattle Seahawks or Denver Broncos organizations, my home town and favorite teams Philadelphia Eagles, Sixers or Flyers organizations, a charity organization, someone financially able to help, or just a group of people that could come together to make this happen.
If I cannot find someone with the right connections, I have to simply buy the tickets. Currently, the latest prices on the internet (I'll update this every few days) are roughly $1600 each. Since I have to bring two caregivers, the three tickets with parking and gas will cost about $5100.
***NOTE: When I started this, prices were roughly $2200 each and I only needed 2 tickets with a goal of $4800. I changed it because, after much consideration of the estimated temperature of around 25 degrees at game time, distance involved, and now predictions of rain/snow showers, I realized I am going to need a second caregiver with me. While driving over 2 hours, more with the Super Bowl traffic, I am going to need assistance which will require pulling over frequently without a second person. Because of the cold and rain, I'm going to need a second person to assist with additional equipment that will be needed, help with driving my wheelchair, and someone to be with me while the other caregiver has to leave me for the restroom, parking the van, getting seats moved, etc.***
Most people may not be able to go to a Super Bowl but they have a lifetime of other vacations or special events that they will enjoy. Because of my disability, besides early childhood visits to out of state family, my last "vacation" was an overnight stay in Washington DC when I was 14 years old. No week long vacations overseas, or on the islands, or on a cruise, or in the mountains. No Disneyland, or Poconos, or Vegas. Not even a couple days at the beach, swimming in the ocean. But that's completely okay. God gave me comfort long ago that these things just weren't meant to be. But a Super Bowl is something I can absolutely do! Yes, even in potentially painful freezing temperatures. This would literally be the biggest adventure of my life!
There's probably a lot of other more worthy causes or people out there. I know because I've donated to them. I just figured if God wants this to happen, it will happen. If not, then He has His reasons.
I beg everyone reading this to please forward this to everyone you know, especially someone who may have the connections to make this happen. If anything, if it is forwarded to enough people, it will eventually get to the right person. Meanwhile, if enough people donate just a little, I could just buy the tickets if the right person does not see this in time. If prices come down and I've raised enough, I'll close this early. Hopefully they don't go up, but I'm hoping someone comes along with connections and I'll refund the donations.
At the age of 38, I am one of the oldest people with Muscular Dystrophy. My brother Jason, who had the same condition, passed away two years ago at the same age of 38. God has truly blessed me to have made it this long but as my condition continues to worsen, it limits my chances drastically of making it to a future Super Bowl close to me which is why I need to go to this one in New Jersey.
With my limited contacts, I've tried to get in touch with someone who could help but have not been successful. I desperately want my situation to get to the right person who could possibly help me get tickets and fulfill this dream I've had my entire life. Possibly someone within the NFL, New York Giants or Jets organizations, Seattle Seahawks or Denver Broncos organizations, my home town and favorite teams Philadelphia Eagles, Sixers or Flyers organizations, a charity organization, someone financially able to help, or just a group of people that could come together to make this happen.
If I cannot find someone with the right connections, I have to simply buy the tickets. Currently, the latest prices on the internet (I'll update this every few days) are roughly $1600 each. Since I have to bring two caregivers, the three tickets with parking and gas will cost about $5100.
***NOTE: When I started this, prices were roughly $2200 each and I only needed 2 tickets with a goal of $4800. I changed it because, after much consideration of the estimated temperature of around 25 degrees at game time, distance involved, and now predictions of rain/snow showers, I realized I am going to need a second caregiver with me. While driving over 2 hours, more with the Super Bowl traffic, I am going to need assistance which will require pulling over frequently without a second person. Because of the cold and rain, I'm going to need a second person to assist with additional equipment that will be needed, help with driving my wheelchair, and someone to be with me while the other caregiver has to leave me for the restroom, parking the van, getting seats moved, etc.***
Most people may not be able to go to a Super Bowl but they have a lifetime of other vacations or special events that they will enjoy. Because of my disability, besides early childhood visits to out of state family, my last "vacation" was an overnight stay in Washington DC when I was 14 years old. No week long vacations overseas, or on the islands, or on a cruise, or in the mountains. No Disneyland, or Poconos, or Vegas. Not even a couple days at the beach, swimming in the ocean. But that's completely okay. God gave me comfort long ago that these things just weren't meant to be. But a Super Bowl is something I can absolutely do! Yes, even in potentially painful freezing temperatures. This would literally be the biggest adventure of my life!
There's probably a lot of other more worthy causes or people out there. I know because I've donated to them. I just figured if God wants this to happen, it will happen. If not, then He has His reasons.
I beg everyone reading this to please forward this to everyone you know, especially someone who may have the connections to make this happen. If anything, if it is forwarded to enough people, it will eventually get to the right person. Meanwhile, if enough people donate just a little, I could just buy the tickets if the right person does not see this in time. If prices come down and I've raised enough, I'll close this early. Hopefully they don't go up, but I'm hoping someone comes along with connections and I'll refund the donations.
Organizer
Christian Hallgren
Organizer
Coatesville, PA
