Help Annie Koo Get a New Wheelchair Accessible Van!

Annie Koo is organizing this fundraiser.

Hello, my name is Annie Koo. I have Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD), which means that I use a wheelchair every day. My family and I are in desperate need of a new wheelchair accessible van. The current van we have is a 2007 Dodge Caravan. Unfortunately, it has been breaking down more often with many issues including engine problems. We don’t think it's going to last much longer. My youngest sister also has the same disability (CMD) as well and is also wheelchair bound. When we ride the van together, the space is so tight that our wheelchairs barely manage to squeeze in. We’re very worried and fearful that we might get into an accident due to a sudden break down or worse. Our mom is our primary caretaker and has been driving us everywhere with this dangerous van. She feels guilty for asking others to help contribute towards the van. However, a very good family friend challenged me to invite others to join me on this journey of faith, to trust that God will provide through others. We’ve been praying about our new van for the past 3 years. We sense that now is the time to ask.

The van my family chose for our GoFundMe is the Toyota Sienna LE. We chose this specific hybrid van from Toyota after much research, due to its spacious layout, rear entryway, and many other beneficial reasons. The main reason is safety. In researching for this, we found out that our current van is unsafe because this van is too old to handle the weight limit of the two electric wheelchairs which is about 1000 lbs. The Toyota Sienna LE is the only one able to fit two heavy electric wheelchairs and handle the weight of the extra 1000 lbs. In addition, this van is elevated high enough for two electric wheelchairs to go in from the rear and it doesn’t sink the van down to the ground. Once we reach our goal of attaining this van, we will have accommodations and adjustments made by the Regional Center. The Regional Center is a government office for special needs. They provide accommodations for accessibility needs. The van cost will be around $45,000 including tax.

Our hope is to be able to drive around to far places with a great functioning van, maybe even all the way from California to Washington D.C. The van needs to help us carry our medical equipment as well. This would include a ventilator and oxygen concentrator. We don’t want to worry or be stressed about our van breaking down in the hot California sun on a very busy highway. This has happened a couple of times already. Would you please consider helping us and making our dreams come true? Any donation would be appreciated. Thank you for partnering with us on this journey. God bless you!