I am a double amputee, and our only vehicle that I can get into is broken down. I have to transfer from my chair to the floorboards, where all the seats are in the stow position. I scoot inside and ride on the floor with no seat belt or airbag protection. A wreck would severely injure me, if not fatally. I will be getting prosthetics soon and will likely need assistance covering the cost of those that Medicare won't pay for. I just want the freedom to go as I please and would likely be driving if we can attain a modified vehicle. My goal is to go back to school and become a limb loss counselor. Paying it forward and helping people has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Being able to have reliable, safe transportation would be tantamount to that goal.

My newly adopted puppy, Rubi, has a congenital deformity of her back legs. She has to ride in the floor with me, but the motion of the vehicle directly below us makes her car sick. It is also unsafe for her to travel that way as well.

I've always tried to do good in this world. Helping people was my passion before I became disabled. And while I might have lost my freedom from mobility challenges, I've never lost my passion for caring for others. This van would be a blessing and life-changing one at that. I only want to do good but I need some help. Until now my pride has kept me from seeking this kind of help from the community. But truly all I want to do is some good and feel like I've got a purpose. So I vow to pay it forward and do good where I'm called to.