Silas needs a wheelchair-accessible van

Wheelz the Bravest Superhero

Hi, my name is Bonnie. I am fundraising to help my daughter, Jen, provide a wheelchair-accessible van for her son, Silas, as well as medical equipment his insurance won't cover.

Jen is mom to Silas. She is a single mom, working full-time and providing full-time care for Silas. Silas was born with a rare medical condition called Arthrogryposis. Silas was only given a 50% chance of surviving outside of the womb, and so Jen was encouraged by many medical professionals to "interrupt" her pregnancy. She carried Silas to term, and he was born, and he breathed, and he has survived a long, uphill journey to get where he is today. Because of his condition, Silas is not able to get around. Jen has to get him up in the morning and move him to the couch, to the table, to the toilet, and to the car. He is not mobile on his own. Jen has given him every opportunity to grow into a healthy 9-year-old boy. He has undergone 13 major surgeries to this point, with his last one being this past summer. Each surgery with the plan of giving him more independence and dignity as he grows.

Silas will be getting a motorized wheelchair in a couple of months. Jen will need a vehicle to provide transportation for him. She will not be able to get his new chair in the vehicle she currently has, so an accessible van will be necessary.

At this point, because of Silas' size now, Jen can no longer lift him. She is hurting herself physically every time she has to move him. She needs a lift to help her get him up and around. The lift insurance will provide Silas is a sling lift. Silas cannot hold on with his arms, so a sling cannot work for him. The lift he needs is no more costly than what they offer, but there is no code for the insurance, so it is not covered. In order to keep Silas safe for lifting and transporting, he needs the split seat lift.

A used wheelchair-accessible van and ramp will cost somewhere around $50,000. The lift is close to $2,000.

We are trying to help Jen provide for Silas, and we are grateful for whatever help you are able to provide.