Help Vance Stay Independent with a Mobility Van
Donation protected
Vance Robinson (aka “VeeRob”) was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disease myositis in 2009. Myositis attacks the body’s muscular system and continually degrades the patient’s strength over time. There is no known cure. Due to the effects of the disease, Vance had to take early retirement from his job at the City of Everett, Washington drinking water treatment plant in 2014 after a 26 year career there. He then moved to live near family and friends in Paso Robles, CA.
Vance sought to turn his battle with the disease into a positive by launching VeeRob’s Myositis Awareness First Pitch campaign in 2017. Through his own initiative, Vance began to appear at college baseball games up and down the West Coast to throw out the honorary first pitch and raise awareness for myositis and all rare diseases. He has thrown first pitches at Stanford, UCSB, UCLA, Cal Poly, USC, San Diego State, Pepperdine, and Westmont, as well as for the collegiate summer league NBC National Champion Santa Barbara Foresters and, of course, Goleta Valley South Little League where he starred as a youngster. He has become legendary in baseball circles and beyond, spreading a positive message of hope and enthusiasm for life and distributing thousands of his signature Myositis Awareness wrist bands to players, coaches and fans at each stop. In the process of raising awareness, Vance has also raised thousands of dollars for the Myositis Association, dedicated to finding a cure.
Now Vance needs our help with the next stage of the disease’s progression. While Vance was able to walk well with a cane as recently as 2017, the predicted progression eventually limited him to transport by mobile wheelchair. He has now reached the point where he is entirely dependent on the mobile wheelchair. That means that he can no longer get in and out of his car and is stuck at home. The answer is to get a wheelchair accessible Mobility Vehicle. The Mobility Vehicle will permit him to roll his mobile wheelchair in and out in order to directly transfer to a driving position. It will also have a hand-lever driving mechanism so he can drive safely without foot control. Such vehicles can cost over $70,000 new, while quality used vehicles can be purchased for $30,000 - $40,000.
This important addition to Vance’s life will allow him to circulate in the community normally, drive to and from medical appointments, participate in many activities, and continue to do all his own shopping, errands and the like.
Vance sought to turn his battle with the disease into a positive by launching VeeRob’s Myositis Awareness First Pitch campaign in 2017. Through his own initiative, Vance began to appear at college baseball games up and down the West Coast to throw out the honorary first pitch and raise awareness for myositis and all rare diseases. He has thrown first pitches at Stanford, UCSB, UCLA, Cal Poly, USC, San Diego State, Pepperdine, and Westmont, as well as for the collegiate summer league NBC National Champion Santa Barbara Foresters and, of course, Goleta Valley South Little League where he starred as a youngster. He has become legendary in baseball circles and beyond, spreading a positive message of hope and enthusiasm for life and distributing thousands of his signature Myositis Awareness wrist bands to players, coaches and fans at each stop. In the process of raising awareness, Vance has also raised thousands of dollars for the Myositis Association, dedicated to finding a cure.
Now Vance needs our help with the next stage of the disease’s progression. While Vance was able to walk well with a cane as recently as 2017, the predicted progression eventually limited him to transport by mobile wheelchair. He has now reached the point where he is entirely dependent on the mobile wheelchair. That means that he can no longer get in and out of his car and is stuck at home. The answer is to get a wheelchair accessible Mobility Vehicle. The Mobility Vehicle will permit him to roll his mobile wheelchair in and out in order to directly transfer to a driving position. It will also have a hand-lever driving mechanism so he can drive safely without foot control. Such vehicles can cost over $70,000 new, while quality used vehicles can be purchased for $30,000 - $40,000.
This important addition to Vance’s life will allow him to circulate in the community normally, drive to and from medical appointments, participate in many activities, and continue to do all his own shopping, errands and the like.
Organizer
Evan Bedell
Organizer
New York, NY
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