Accessible Van For Allison

Since birth, Allison has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Seizure Disorder, and Cortical Visual Impairment. She is non-verbal and has limited mobility. She is in a wheelchair and needs help with all her daily activities. There is not a time in the day that Allison does not need help, including playing, dressing, feeding and bathing. All of her food needs to be puréed and she is on a high calorie formula. Allison is still wearing diapers, and as she grows, the cost of diapers increases. Because of Allison’s disability we face daily challenges, but as a family we try to provide her with the best quality of life that we can.

Allison is now nine years old. Currently when travelling, Allison and her wheelchair must be physically carried into the family’s minivan. Over time, both she and her wheelchair have been growing, which makes this task harder and harder on Mom and Dad, and more unsafe for Allison. We are seeking to purchase a wheelchair lift for our minivan that will alleviate this challenge and provide much greater comfort and safety for Allison. Although the family has coverage for the wheelchair, this is where the coverage ends. The cost of the wheelchair lift is $30,000, and after seeking out assistance from charitable organizations, a grant of $5,000 was obtained. We are now reaching out to the community to help raise the remaining costs.

Any financial assistance people contribute will help us to have Allison included in all activities with family and friends. This inclusion is very important for Allison’s development and we like her to be involved in everything possible. Financially, purchasing the wheelchair lift on our own is a significant strain on our budget as anything that is for a child with special needs comes with a very high price tag. It is important to us to provide anything and everything we can for Allison so that her life is enriched and helps with her development. Any assistance people contribute towards the purchase of the wheelchair lift will greatly assist in easing our struggles when travelling with Allison, help reduce the financial stress we are under, and allow us to focus on our family and provide greater quality of life for Allison.