Help Sharlene and Axel Get a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Every mother’s worst fear is hearing that her child’s body will slowly stop working. For Sharlene, that fear became reality when her beautiful boy Axel was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a rare and progressive genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness and loss of mobility over time.

Axel first started falling at just four and a half years old. By the age of six, after blood and genetic testing, doctors confirmed the heart breaking diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This condition affects every muscle in the body, including the legs, arms, lungs, and heart, and gradually takes away a child’s ability to walk, climb, and do everyday tasks most of us take for granted.

Axel was diagnosed with autism at 5 years old. He is currently 7.5 years old. Despite facing both of these challenges, Axel continues to show incredible courage and resilience every day. Today, he needs help with almost everything. He cannot dress himself, wash himself, or walk upstairs. He no longer has the strength in his legs and needs help with walking and getting around. He now uses a wheelchair daily, including at school, but their 14-year-old car is no longer suitable or safe. Sharlene has to physically lift Axel in and out of the car every day, which is becoming impossible as he grows.

Like many children with DMD, Axel takes daily steroids to help slow the progression of the disease. These medications come with difficult side effects, including increased aggression and an extreme hunger that is hard to manage. As you can see in his photos, his cheeks have ballooned out from the treatment. Sharlene works hard to keep his diet protein rich to help balance his appetite and prevent further weight gain.

Despite her strength and determination, Sharlene can only work casually due to Axel’s complex care needs. Her payments barely cover rent, bills, and food. She has no way to afford the wheelchair accessible vehicle that would change their lives.

A suitable van-type vehicle would allow Axel to travel safely and comfortably to his many appointments, including:

• Physiotherapy

• Occupational therapy

• Speech therapy

• Hydrotherapy

• Hospital muscle clinic

• Paediatrician and doctor appointments

It would also give Sharlene the independence and freedom to take Axel to school, outings, and social activities without the daily physical strain and stress.

DMD is a lifelong condition that progresses over time. Every bit of support helps make life easier for families like Sharlene and Axel, who face enormous challenges every single day with courage and love.

Please help us raise funds for a wheelchair accessible vehicle so Axel can travel safely, comfortably, and with dignity, and so Sharlene can continue caring for her son without risking her own health.

Even the smallest donation will make a difference. Together, we can give Axel the independence he deserves and Sharlene the support she truly needs