Wheels for Maggie & Mommy

Have you ever stopped to think about how your life might be different if you were the parent of a special needs child?  What if that child had to be lifted in and out of the vehicle every time you went anywhere… and she was 75 lbs. and all the lifting was up to you?  What if there were no older siblings to be ‘mommy’s helper’, so mommy not only had to completely care for that child, but also any younger ones.  How would you feel if you had to deny your other child activities that we daily take for granted?... trips to the park or zoo, swimming lessons, library reading times, play-dates with friends, music lessons, shopping trips, vacation Bible school or even Sunday School… because after 8 years of lifting, your body just can’t keep up with the wear and tear.  How isolated would you feel when you can’t leave your home and just run to the store, the bank or the post office without previously arranging care for your child?  When the only adult conversations you have are with the therapists, doctors, or respite care workers…

This is the scenario that my dear friend, Emily, is in.  Her precious daughter, Maggie, was born 8 years ago with special needs, due to a lack of oxygen at birth, as well as other complications.  This has taken an extremely heavy toll on the family, as they have had to adapt to a new kind of ‘normal’, which revolves around doctor visits, therapies, and numerous other adjustments that surround the life of a family with special needs. 

Right now, Emily has an urgent need!!! Her current vehicle has numerous problems and isn’t worth putting the money into it to get it fixed.  Because she is currently ‘single-momming it’ while Maggie’s daddy travels away for his job, she NEEDS a reliable vehicle in which a wheelchair lift can be installed.  This would bring SO MUCH more normalcy into her life… literally revolutionizing her life, as she could once again get out of the house with her girls, giving both Maggie and ‘big’ little sister Kailynn, the opportunities that every child should be given! Thankfully, Medicaid will cover the cost of the lift for the vehicle, but she needs a reliable vehicle to have it installed in!  This isn’t an extravagant wish, but a real and urgent need-once she has the vehicle, just getting the lift installed could be months before it is ready!  Her desire is to find a good, reliable, rust-free used Suburban in which to have the lift installed, in hopes of being able to keep it for at least 10 years.  She estimates that the cost of the vehicle, plus installation of the lift would be around $15,000.  At this point in her life, and with all the ongoing costs of raising a special needs child, this is an impossibility… unless she has help!  Would you consider letting God use you to bring a blessing to this family?  On behalf of Emily and her girls, THANK YOU for any help you can give!