Russell's dream handicap truck fund

Hello everyone,

My name is Russell Lala, I live in Minnesota and am 21 years old. I have a huge passion for vehicles and loved to help my dad with his project cars when I was a kid. We even built a go cart together. But all of that changed in June of 2005 when I was attacked by a lion and a tiger leaving me a quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down) and ventilator dependent. I was only 10 at the time so I’ve overcome a lot over the past 11 years.

I received a settlement of $250.000 which has all been spent on legal fees, medical fees, handicap accessible vehicles and remodeling the house we lived in at the time. That money was supposed to last me the rest of my life but that obviously was impossible from the get-go. As you can imagine, it’s not easy for me to find a job since I can’t use my arms but I’m definitely trying with the help of my local workforce center. I’m able to do some computer work with assistive technology but that’s pretty much it for independent work.

My childhood dream was to own a fast car with a V8 but after buying my first minivan, I thought that dream was lost. I do need to be driven to destinations by my caregivers but it’s okay since I can still leave my apartment whenever I want. However, that didn’t change the fact of how boring minivans are. 2 years ago, I discovered that there’s companies that make handicap accessible trucks. I eventually found one in Wisconsin with a passenger side entrance wheelchair lift and 4 wheel drive. I managed to buy it with the help of my amazing mother. It’s a 2012 GMC Sierra with a 5.3L V8 and it’s probably the closest thing to a muscle car I’ll ever get to ride in.


Now I’m able to go out in the winter without getting stuck plus it can tow cars around. That means I can go along on trips to pick up new project cars with my dad. But, I need your help to make my dream of owning a fast and practical vehicle come true. If I could get a 6.2L engine, drivetrain upgrades along with some visual upgrades, this would definitely be the coolest truck in the state! I could bring it to car shows and to the track. There’s a ton of possibilities! So please donate to help this come true. Every cent counts.

Here's some links to prove I am who I say I am.

My Website:
http://gnxpro.wix.com/the-attack

My Fox 9 News Interview From May of 2013:
https://youtu.be/Vvs0oP-F-f0

CBS News Article:
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-201_162-703811.html