Support Dominic's Journey Towards Mobility

This is Dominic. Dominic was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This disease affects 1 in every 5000 boys. Like other children he was born just fine. But a few months later when it came to movement he was delayed. Dominic was in physical therapy at 10 months old because he was unable to crawl and could not sit up on his own. The doctors at KRMC said he just had a weak core and that the therapy would help. Years go by and Dominic is still not able to do the things normal children do such as run and jump.

When Dominic was 6 years old, he was still being pushed around in a stroller because he would tire quickly from walking and could not keep up with anyone either. Just before his 7th birthday we got in touch with Pheonix Children’s Hospital. We explained that all the doctors they have seen in Kingman say that there is nothing wrong with him, that he is just a little bit behind. The doctors couldn’t have been further from the truth. We ended up taking Dominic down to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for some test and the results were not good. Days before his 7th birthday we found out that he had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a disease that is normally diagnosed by the age of 2 and treatment is started right away. While there is no cure for this disease, early intervention and treatment is key to a longer mobile life and a potential longer life. Because Dominic was so old when diagnosed he was already behind other children his age. Dominic was put on steroids to help his heart and lungs from growing weaker. However, the steroids caused him to gain a significant amount of weight in a short time making it even harder for him to walk or even get up out of a chair. The doctors prescribe a wheelchair for him for longer trips and for when he is at school due to the issues with him falling and getting hurt a lot at school. As he gained more and more weight his muscles were no longer able to support his weight. Now he is in a wheelchair permanently and this comes with even more struggles for him and our family.

Our home was not ready for him to be in a wheelchair full time. It was in need of some renovations that the family struggled to afford and get done. He needed hard surface floors for the wheelchair, a roll in shower, wider doors that will accommodate him in his chair, and much more. Our family and friends pulled together to help make these home modifications possible.

With most of the home modifications taken care of the biggest task is in front of us. Dominic is in need of a mobility van in order to get him to and from place safer. Currently Dominic is being lifted from his chair and placed in the back seat of the family car. The wheelchair is then folded up and stored in the trunk. This is a lot of work and very hard on us physically, being that he weighs over 100 pounds now. These mobility vans are not cheap at all. Just putting a ramp into a van can cost upwards of $30,000. We are working to try to be able to afford one on monthly payments but need help with a down payment that will help get the payment more manageable. We have reached out to several non-profit charities and now we are reaching out to you for help.