Hi, thank you for taking the time out of your day to first, follow the link to our GoFundMe page, and second, read about our family and a current need. My name is Melody, my husband is Justin, & we have 3 beautiful son’s. Archer is our oldest (6.5), Saylor is our middle (5), and Major (1) is the baby of The Benton Bunch.

We are incredibly lucky to have such amazing children, & never want it to come off as us not being grateful for our many blessings in this life, but we are currently at a massive disadvantage when it comes to accessibility for our Saylor. Saylor is fully disabled & medically fragile. He lives with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. This comes with significant muscle tightness and contractures, which furthermore leads to him requiring a wheelchair full time, as he cannot stand, much less walk. We also have to travel with extensive medical equipment at all times so that he can safely navigate this world due to his medical complexity and fragility.

Our family of 5’s biggest need right now is a full size, medium roof, side lift wheelchair accessible van. This may sound as simple as just “needing something bigger”, but for our family, it means so much more than just that. It would also guarantee safety, accessibility, and less strain on us having to care for Saylor and his complex needs every single day.

Why is our current vehicle not enough? We have a standard sized Honda Minivan. It has served us well enough for the last nearly 2 years. With 3 children, a wheelchair, the space needed for everyday tag-along medical equipment, plus luggage for 5 individuals when we have to travel for specialty care every 2-3 months, this van simply doesn’t give our family the space we need. Right now, making all of this fit realistically and safely, is becoming increasingly difficult. And as Saylor grows, the challenges (especially physical), are only becoming greater.

Saylor’s diagnosis makes it extremely difficult to lift and transfer him. Due to his muscle contractures and “dead weight”, it’s physically demanding and, at times, it’s honestly frightening. I’ve knocked his head a handful of times trying to duck him under and into the van. I’ve fallen & thankfully have always managed to spare him from injury. I’ve unintentionally got his legs pinned up under his bottom when transferring him up into his seat.

Every trip away from the house means:

•Lifting, carrying, then transferring Saylor into his medical car seat.

•Removing and loading of his 40lb wheelchair.

•Removing tanks, suction, and other necessities off of his wheelchair and then replacing it once at the destination (I can’t fold it up into his wheelchair).

•Repeating the entire process for multiple appointments, errands, therapies, etc. All while having 2 other young children in tow.

As stated, it isn’t just terribly exhausting, it is becoming a growing safety concern for us. It doesn’t help that I also am experiencing significant health issues myself, with a severe Vascular Compression, POTS, and hypermobility issues. I am to undergo vascular surgery, a left renal vein transposition, within the next 3 months in Houston Texas. Then, March 11th, Saylor will be going in for Hip Surgery #2, to include a Hemiepiphysiodesis correction (longer screw placement) and bilateral periacetabular osteotomy (deepening of shallow hip sockets). He will then be in a Spica cast (molded body cast holding his legs in an abducted (spread apart) and flexed position) for some weeks to months depending on recovery. Which then will prevent us from putting him in his medical carseat entirely, as he will be in a specialized rental wheelchair that reclines and elevates his legs.

I don’t say any of this for sympathy, I say it because I need those I’m asking assistance from, to understand why this has become such an urgent need.

This specific van will give Saylor the ability to remain in his wheelchair during vehicle entry and exit. Instead of lifting his body in and out of the vehicle paired with the constant collapsing and loading of his wheelchair, we could simply bring him alongside the vehicle, roll him onto the operating lift, and then safely secure his wheelchair inside. This means far fewer transfers, less lifting, less strain on Saylor, and less strain on myself. And most importantly, safety and accessibility, when we have to embark on medically necessary trips every few months for specialty care. These trips aren’t optional, they are just part of caring for a medically fragile child with complex needs. A full size transit would give us the ability to travel together without having to choose between which equipment is most essential, luggage, or the space our children need.

We know this is a HUGE ask. A wheelchair accessible full size Ford transit with a side lift isn’t cheap. We’ve been quoted between $70-$100k. We go back up to ATL for appointments in mid October, and will look at a configuration closer to what we are needing, to which we can then get a more exact cost, as well as figure out what we will be getting towards trade in value for our current vehicle (that will most likely tack negative equity into the final cost). For now, I will be setting the goal at the starting cost of $70k.

Every donation, no matter the cost, brings us one step closer. If you cannot donate, we entirely understand, simply sharing our link can help us tremendously. Someone in your circle may know an organization, business, church, or donor, who understands exactly why accessible transportation matters.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for caring about our family, and for helping us work towards something that would genuinely change our everyday lives.

Here’s to one day being able to continue showing up for our son without destroying our bodies in the process.

With much love and gratitude,

The Benton Bunch. ❤️