Help Cheyne Hit the Road to Joy this Christmas!

Hi, my name is Karen and I am fundraising for my son Cheyne who suffered a life changing traumatic brain injury nearly 10 years ago. He was a happily married father of 2 young children at the time. His accident left him profoundly disabled and confined most times to home. He went from an avid surfer, snowboarder, and motocross enthusiast to endless days fighting to just regain a piece of his former way of life.

For most of the nearly 10 years since his accident, I have cared for him in my home. To make matters more trying my husband passed away of cancer shortly after Cheyne’s accident. Leaving me alone to care for him, but I firmly believe that everyone deserves to be surrounded by love and try to give my son the best care possible despite my own challenges. After years of difficulties, we have settled into a happy and comfortable place thanks to the wonderful caregivers and nurses who come to work with him part-time.

His favorite thing to do is get out and go to the beach--we even take him surfing sometimes and lately he has been going swimming with his nurse Ali once a week. He also loves making an In-N-Out run as a special treat. But these trips are extremely difficult. Without the aid of a special van to handle Cheyne and his wheel chair, those trips rarely happen. Putting him in a car takes a team and he has issues controlling his impulses which can lead to difficult driving conditions.

A Christmas miracle is in the making – an unknown angel has generously donated a used handicapped van to us! We are beyond excited by the possibilities this opens up for Cheyne as we would be able to travel him while sitting in his wheelchair in the van. This would get him out of the house and give him the ability to once again enjoy the beach, pools, parks, and more!

Please help us give Cheyne this amazing Christmas present! The van needs upgrades and a few fixes to be road worthy. We need to install strap/lockdowns for the wheelchair and then the van needs the A/C fixed, new brake pads, and new tires. It also has to be registered and insured as well.

I'm sending this out to the universe and hoping to have many more angles make this happen for Cheyne. Anyone who has cared for a completely dependent disabled person knows the financial constraints this places on a family. After so many years of caring for him, my savings are depleted and all the money I get goes to his care. There just isn’t anything left over at the end of the month. If this touches your heart in any way, you could make this an amazing and never to be forgotten Christmas to someone who hasn’t had a break in a long time. I really need your support and help to make this a reality and you’d have the undying gratitude of a thankful mother.

The other best part of the van? It would allow us to take our two dogs (Jack and Diane) with us on outings--they adore Cheyne and are his best friends.

Your generosity during this holiday season holds the power to profoundly impact a life that has faced numerous challenges. Your consideration and any support you can provide are deeply appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this message.

With Gratitude,

Karen

(Cheyne's mom and biggest cheerleader!)