Help Evie to travel safely with comfort!

The Ask:

A new wheelchair accessible van for Evie Harper, so she can see the world!

 

The Why:

The Harper's need a wheelchair accessible van to better care for Evie and make life easier for Lindsey.

 

The Harper family is humble, long suffering, and carry on with a smile. Day in and day out, Lindsey, Evie's mom, cares for Evie's every need. Jason, Evie's dad, toils away at work, but always has Evie and Lindsey on his mind. Beyond their control, Evie was born with Phelan McDermid Syndrome AKA 22Q13 Deletion Syndrome, for those of you who are wondering what that means, she was born seven years ago with a genetic disorder caused by the deletion of part of her 22nd chromosome. As a result, she does not speak, crawl, walk, or talk. Her daily routine is often interrupted by seizures and her lack of muscle development prevents her from enjoying many of the simple, basic, and fun enjoyments life has to offer.

 

One of Evie’s favorite things in the world is going for a ride in the van. She loves it! She and her mom go for rides just for fun and when she’s having a hard day and can’t settle, a van ride typically does the trick to calm her and help her get back to her happy place. Things Evie enjoys are very limited due to her syndrome and how it effects every aspect of her body and mind. So to have this, a simple van ride, is something they are so thankful for. Lately, going for rides has been limited to necessary trips only, such as to therapists and doctors because it’s getting so hard and dangerous for Lindsey to get Evie in and out of the van.

 

 

Because Evie gets so excited to go for a ride, Lindsey must hold on tight because she thrusts and flaps her legs so hard in excitement. She will also try to throw her whole body toward the van because she is ready to get in. Lindsey then has to lift her up and over into her car seat. Often times, she will arch her back and extend her body to a backward "U" shape and push backward with all of her might while Lindsey is trying to get her in the seat. Lindsey has to keep holding on strong, so she doesn't drop her before she can hoist Evie into the car seat. Once Evie is in her car seat, she grabs different parts of the seat and pulls herself forward or will try to throw herself over the side. As a result, for Lindsey, or anyone helping Evie in her seat, it has become super tricky and stressful. Of course, Evie does not yet have a sense of danger or fear or understanding of getting hurt. So, it does not click in her brain that if she throws herself out of the seat, she’ll be hurt. Once she is securely in the van, Lindsey needs to load up her 50 pound wheel chair in the back. Once they're at their destination, the whole process begins again. This is why the Harpers don’t do extra things. They are limited to just the necessities. Soon, and I mean soon, Lindsey will not be able to get her in the van by herself for Evie's necessary medical and therapy appointments.

 

 

Having a wheelchair accessible van will keep Evie on the move and open up so much more opportunity for her to see the world. And by world, I mean the things we all take for granted. Things like going inside a store to shop and see things and see people outside of her circle.

 

The Amount:

$75,000

 

The amount of $75,000 was set by Jason's coworkers, we are all pitching in, and we don't want them to settle for junk. We want them to have a van that will last, and a van that has a warranty, and a van that will provide safety and peace of mind. They would never ask, they don't have to. We all can step up and give a little bit to help this wish become a reality. The gifts to this campaign will go directly to the Harpers to purchase this van. Thank you for praying and considering giving to help out this dear family.