Help Schrum Family Secure a Special-Needs Van

I’m organizing this campaign for Holly Schrum, a member of the Red Lion Community in York County, PA who is in desperate need of assistance. Holly reached out to our Facebook community page seeking assistance in unloading a vehicle she and her family could no longer afford and buying a vehicle more appropriate to their situation, as I’ll explain below. Holly and her family are perfectly willing to sell the vehicle and take something much less expensive, but they are badly underwater on the loan -- about $9,000.  They have identified a van that can provide them with the special accommodation and space that they need at a cost of about $14,000.

 

What makes this seemingly simple situation about a family owning a car beyond their means is this: Holly is caring for three special needs children, her elderly disabled mother, and her disabled husband. Her family is now only living on SSI. Holly lost her job because she had no way to care for her children or her mother. Her husband is in the appeal stage for his SSI at this time, suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy. Her son has ADHD, a mood disturbance disorder and autism. Another child has autism, impulse control disorder, ADHD, and anxiety.. Her youngest is in the worst physical shape, currently in a medical device due to caudal regression syndrome, spina bifida, bilateral club feet, bilateral short femurs, immature rib cage, asthma, deaf/hard of hearing, and sleep apnea. They were homeless when she was pregnant with the youngest and managed to get settled. But last June, they were involved in an auto accident in which they were hit, totalling their vehicle. At the time they were in the position to buy a new car. The health of the youngest child has deteriorated, requiring her to use a stroller at at all times.  She requires frequent medical appointments in Hershey; this makes their current vehicle inadequate. They now need on which can accommodate her wheelchair and equipment.

 

Holly had asked the community about any options she might have for somehow, some way selling this car so she could unburden her family of the payment and buy something else that may not meet their needs but at least they could handle financially in these difficult times. I responded that I thought that there are enough good-hearted people out there that maybe -- just maybe -- we could raise the money that would allow her family to sell their current vehicle and buy the van they have identified. So we’re launching this “Hail Mary.”

 

Expense for medical care in the United States is obscene, so Holly and her family are already in a tough spot. It seems to me that taking this load off of them would help in a big way. I hope you feel the same.

 

Thanks in advance.