Mobility Van for Adam!
Don protégé
My name is Adam, and I hope you are able to help me. I am in my middle 30's, I am a husband, and I am a father of one. My 8 year old son Ethan is an incredible and lively boy, constantly running and bouncing all over the house. My wife, Rebecca and I are truly blessed to have him in our lives. Ensuring the wealth and well-being of my family is and always will be my top priority, my needs always come second. Consider me guilty of caring too much about those I love most.
I hate to be selfish as honestly there is not a selfish bone in my body. The real story here involves my personal physical struggles. I was a young teenager when I first felt something wasn’t right. It seemed I was more than just a clumsy teenage boy with feet that grew too fast to stop tripping over them. This was when I would discover that the rest of my life would steadily get harder and harder the older I became. In 1995, I was officially diagnosed with having a rare disorder known as Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. Becker's is a debilitating disease that prevents muscle growth in specific areas of the body. My case in particular, targets the muscles in my upper arms and upper legs.
The last few years have begun to show more signs as to how debilitating this disease can be. Most of my life I have managed to get around on my own with little to no help. However now, I just manage to walk around my home or for short distances (20 feet or less), the idea that a fall could happen with no warning is always on my mind. Imagine seeing a staircase as a mountain or stepping on a pebble is enough to cause you to fall. I really have to watch and think about each step I take. That is just a snap shot of every day in my life. For safety and easy of mind, I now use both a manual and powered wheelchair outside my home.
Things started off ok, as 2017 began. I had just received a raise from work, I had just received my bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and it seemed everything was starting to smooth out. In March of this year I was informed I would be laid off from the company I had spent the last 6 years with. They said it was a business decision but, the news hit like a ton of bricks. I am the primary financial provider for my family. My wife can work but, for certain reasons she would be unable to make as much as I am capable of. She also has to do a very large majority at home as it is, thanks in no part to my physical limitations and taking care of our son.
Finding a new job has been tough. It has been a struggle to convince a hiring manager to overlook the fact that you came to the interview in a push wheelchair you have trouble with. Although they don't say it (because legally they can't), you feel people sometimes judge this book by its cover. If and when I do secure a job, my current situation isn’t easy but I find a way. I will have to leave my power chair on site at an employer, then try to use a regular wheelchair to travel from car to power chair. I can just afford the current car we have now, let alone the average of $30,000 or more for a mobility van. My family and I could benefit greatly with a vehicle that allows me take my power wheelchair with me.
You can help support us in several ways:
· Donate to our cause to purchase a mobility van.
· Like our Page.
· Share our Story on Facebook or Twitter using #HelpAdamBeMobile
· Subscribe to our Campaign to receive regular updates on our progress.
No donation is too small and sharing our story is also very helpful. Please help my family and me in a quest for personal independence and a better life.
I hate to be selfish as honestly there is not a selfish bone in my body. The real story here involves my personal physical struggles. I was a young teenager when I first felt something wasn’t right. It seemed I was more than just a clumsy teenage boy with feet that grew too fast to stop tripping over them. This was when I would discover that the rest of my life would steadily get harder and harder the older I became. In 1995, I was officially diagnosed with having a rare disorder known as Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. Becker's is a debilitating disease that prevents muscle growth in specific areas of the body. My case in particular, targets the muscles in my upper arms and upper legs.
The last few years have begun to show more signs as to how debilitating this disease can be. Most of my life I have managed to get around on my own with little to no help. However now, I just manage to walk around my home or for short distances (20 feet or less), the idea that a fall could happen with no warning is always on my mind. Imagine seeing a staircase as a mountain or stepping on a pebble is enough to cause you to fall. I really have to watch and think about each step I take. That is just a snap shot of every day in my life. For safety and easy of mind, I now use both a manual and powered wheelchair outside my home.
Things started off ok, as 2017 began. I had just received a raise from work, I had just received my bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and it seemed everything was starting to smooth out. In March of this year I was informed I would be laid off from the company I had spent the last 6 years with. They said it was a business decision but, the news hit like a ton of bricks. I am the primary financial provider for my family. My wife can work but, for certain reasons she would be unable to make as much as I am capable of. She also has to do a very large majority at home as it is, thanks in no part to my physical limitations and taking care of our son.
Finding a new job has been tough. It has been a struggle to convince a hiring manager to overlook the fact that you came to the interview in a push wheelchair you have trouble with. Although they don't say it (because legally they can't), you feel people sometimes judge this book by its cover. If and when I do secure a job, my current situation isn’t easy but I find a way. I will have to leave my power chair on site at an employer, then try to use a regular wheelchair to travel from car to power chair. I can just afford the current car we have now, let alone the average of $30,000 or more for a mobility van. My family and I could benefit greatly with a vehicle that allows me take my power wheelchair with me.
You can help support us in several ways:
· Donate to our cause to purchase a mobility van.
· Like our Page.
· Share our Story on Facebook or Twitter using #HelpAdamBeMobile
· Subscribe to our Campaign to receive regular updates on our progress.
No donation is too small and sharing our story is also very helpful. Please help my family and me in a quest for personal independence and a better life.
Organisateur
Adam Miller
Organisateur
Pekin, IL
