Hi, my name is Jane Garnier and I am fundraising on behalf of my Aunt Nadine. She lives with MS, and on October 16th her wheelchair-accessible van was totaled. Her message is below. We appreciate you so much for reading.

My name is Nadine LeGier and I am truly thankful that you’ve taken the time to read my story. I am raising funds to assist in the purchase of a used wheelchair accessible van. I have lived with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis since 1993. I was diagnosed at the age of 20 and by the time I had turned 22, I was using a wheelchair to get around in the community. Unfortunately, my MS progressed quite quickly and ten years ago I found that I could no longer use my right arm. This meant that I had to start using a power wheelchair and that I could no longer drive myself. Further progression has meant that I can no longer travel in a regular car; I have to remain seated in my power wheelchair.

After much contemplation, my husband and I decided that our family needed to somehow purchase a modified accessible van. These vans are extremely expensive. A new wheelchair accessible van can cost anywhere between $60,000-$120,000. Even a used wheelchair accessible van can cost anywhere between $20,000-$90,000. After years of saving, my husband and I managed to collect enough money to buy a used wheelchair accessible van. We could only afford a van made in 2009, so it came with the smaller price tag than many accessible vans, but it also came with a few problems. The previous owner had maintained the van well, so despite a few glitches, it was perfect for our family. This van became my only means of transportation and connection to the world. It meant that I didn’t have to rely on accessible taxi services that could get expensive and often had schedules that were difficult to coordinate with my own personal schedule. This van eliminated these barriers and allowed me and my family to travel together in a more spontaneous way without having to worry about locating accessible transportation. In fact, my husband, daughter, and I have been able to go on lengthy road trips together, with the last one being a six-week road trip from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, with a week-long visit with old friends in Ottawa.

Sadly, my life changed dramatically on October 16th of this year when a friend called asking for assistance. Of course, my husband went to her apartment to help. He parked our van in the building’s outside parking lot and spent about 45 minutes helping her and then left to come home. As he left the building, he noticed a fire truck in the parking lot and a group of about 15 people standing in the area where he had parked the van. He looked to the spot where he had parked the van and realized that it was not there. In a panic, he scanned the parking lot and found the van approximately 30 feet from where he had parked it. It was completely destroyed (please see attached picture). The police were not called to the scene because no one was injured or killed. A firefighter took my husband details and explained what happened.

A driver travelling at approximately 100 kilometers an hour hopped a curb and ran into and destroyed a bench at a bus stop. He then travelled on the grass tearing it apart, hit and destroyed a sign, swiped a car parked next to our van, and crashed into our van, pushing it across the parking lot. His own car was destroyed in the process. When my husband asked where the other driver was so he could talk to him, the firefighter informed him that this other driver had given his details, refused medical attention, signed a waiver saying that it was his choice to leave the scene, and left in either a friend’s car or a taxi. The firefighter said the driver seemed in a rush to leave the scene and they didn’t have the legal right to detain him. In a later conversation with the police, we were told that they would count this as a hit and run and that, although they could not test him at the scene, they suspected that he was inebriated at the time of the crash. We were informed in a later conversation with our insurance provider that the other driver accepted full responsibility for the destruction. They informed us that the van was a write-off and, despite all of the damage for which the other driver was responsible, they could only offer us $6000 in compensation.

Unfortunately, it is incredibly expensive to modify a van to make it accessible. This expense means that the $6000 our insurance company has offered us is absolutely ridiculous. The van is a total write-off so it cannot be repaired and $6000 can in no way cover the cost of another van. We estimate that $20,000 would allow us to purchase a used modified van. Through this GoFundMe I hope to raise money toward this price. Thank you so much for reading this and, if you are able, contributing to this GoFundMe. Any contribution would be very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Nadine LeGier