Freedom and improved quality of life with a wheelchair accessible van.

JohnMark Baburka is retired from the FDNY where he served as a firefighter and paramedic for over 17 years and was a first responder on 9/11. JohnMark was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in his late twenties and found himself using a wheelchair a few years later. He retired from the FDNY in 2004 and for the past 15 years has had personal care assistants work with him every day to help him with the daily tasks he is not physically able to do for himself. He is a very determined individual and never lets his disability get in the way of living and enjoying his life. Living in NYC, the primary mode of transportation is the MTA Access-a-Ride buses and, at times, regular MTA buses. Subways are not very accessible for wheelchair users. Access-a-Ride is restrictive as it involves calling at least 24-48 hours in advance to make an appointment and be brought to where he wants to go and then back home. There are times when Access-a-Ride has abandoned him in the city as the driver stated they “couldn’t find the location.” This limits him to the warmer months and days when there isn’t a forecast for inclement weather. There is no ability to be spontaneous in waking up and deciding to go somewhere in Manhattan or another borough, let alone anywhere outside of NYC as Access-a-Ride is restricted to the 5 boroughs.

Purchasing a wheelchair accessible van would be the best way to improve the quality of his life and allow him to travel wherever in the Tri-State area he would like to go whenever he would like to go with me driving. The best option is to purchase a new wheelchair accessible van in order to allow the maximum number of years with this vehicle. A new wheelchair accessible van can cost between $70,000 - $90,000. These vehicles are specialty vehicles being custom made to fit the lifestyle and needs of the individual with the disability. The conversion and customizing can cost between $25,000-$30,000 above the baseline cost of a minivan, therefore costing much more for this vehicle than for a regular vehicle that any able-bodied individual would purchase for their transportation needs.

We are hoping with this fundraiser to close the gap between what we are using of our own money to fund the van and our financing monthly payments. Your generosity would bring our dreams into reality, allowing us more freedom to enjoy life and visit our family, friends, and loved ones throughout the Tri-State area. We hope you would donate any amount that you are able to and help us realize our goal.

Thank you in advance for your support! We appreciate any amount you are able to help us with. Feel free to share this with others.