Callums accessible van

Hi! My name is Callum MacQuarrie. In 1995, I had a diving accident when I was only 22 years old resulting in my becoming a C4/5 quadriplegic. This means I now am not able to move from my neck down. After I got out of the rehab my journey then started. I was able to move back home to my house in Cape Breton.  I was able to show all of my friends and family that I was the same person that I was before my accident. I would not be where I am today without the support that I received in the last twenty years from family, friends and the community.  My hometown of Inverness organized a fundraiser in 1995 to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van.  For that reason, I was able to stay in Cape Breton for two years.  In 1999, I moved to Halifax for accessibility which opened many different doors for me.  Being in a wheelchair did not hinder my sense of adventure. In the past twenty years I was able to go skydiving, kayaking, skidooing, fourwheeling, sailing and motorcycling; all accomplished with the help of duct tape.   When I was in Halifax I volunteered with the Canadian Paraplegic Association mentoring people out of the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre, advocating for accessibility and sidewalk on/off approaches.  Now I am happy to say that I am back in rural Cape Breton.  Unfortunately, my van is a 2002 and I now need to purchase a new one for safe travelling.   All activities with which I was involved  could not have been done without a van - my independence.  I am beginning a new phase here in Cape Breton speaking to school children about  injury prevention; so they can understand and realize my journey as a quadriplegic, the obstacles that were before me as a 22 year old, and the success I have achieved as a disabled person in the province of Nova Scotia. Thank you in advance  for your donations!