Wheelchair Van for Vicky

Though previously thought to have both Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy, my daughter Victoria’s condition still remains somewhat of a mystery to us. She has never walked independently in her entire life. As a baby she started with a walker, and then progressed to a manual wheelchair when she started school, and now she has a power chair. It would mean the world to my parents and me to be able to make Victoria’s life so much better by getting a Wheelchair Accessible Van. She is my hero, if only because she never complains about not being able to run around and play with other girls her age. She’s also an excellent student, getting 3 A’s and 3 B’s in standard classes.

We have been blessed to get the help that we have for Victoria’s medical needs, with special thanks to Nemours Children’s Hospital (Betsy), Dr. Richard Finkel, and Dr. Carston Bonneman. Despite this, transportation is still a major issue and I have to do something to take action. I would like to take Vicky with me everywhere that I go but at times it is too difficult to transfer her from the power chair to the car and back again if we have more than one stop to make.

Since Victoria started Kindergarten the schools have not allowed her to use a walker for safety purposes, even though it would probably help with her mobility. That lack of mobility has been a negative impact, forcing her to use a power chair the majority of her day and causing Vicky to gain weight to the point of about 200 pounds. It’s difficult for me to transfer Vicky to her bed, the shower, and her power chair but going anywhere in the car is another story and unfortunately, often is more work for both of us than it’s worth.

I would love to have the freedom of going with Victoria anywhere we want without having to lift her in and out of the car/chair at every stop. Victoria’s Grandparents would also love the opportunity to be able to take Victoria out for the day but since they are older they are not able to lift her at all, even spending time with them is difficult. We have a non-converted  van with a sliding door that has been good but it has no wheelchair ramp and is now too old and worn to be retrofitted with a ramp for her power chair.

We've been working with Ray at Mobility Freedom in Orlando, FL but need a little extra help to raise a down payment for a van. I am so proud of my daughter. I want to give her everything and I’m hoping that this small story will inspire you to help us. Thank you for taking the time to read.

Sincerely, Bob Wynne