Wheels For Eva

Hello and welcome to the Eva von Flotow fundraising page!

Eva is a vibrant, outgoing, adventurous and compassionate 23 year old woman with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and Dystonia. She lives with her parents, Lynne and Erik von Flotow in Whitehorse, Yukon. Eva is in dire need of an accessible vehicle.

Eva requires assistance in all activities of daily living. She requires a custom wheelchair for all of her mobility needs and spends the majority of her waking hours in her chair. Therefore Eva requires an accessible vehicle in order to leave her home for work, medical appointments or to participate in her community. Eva must remain in her own wheelchair while in a vehicle as she cannot sit independently without the supports built into her chair. The accessible vehicle she currently has is old (2007) and has recently required numerous and expensive repairs. It is also too small for Eva's chair, which makes it tricky to get her chair in correctly and secured properly. It's size also makes it next to impossible to bring any other equipment that Eva may need when not at home, such as a portable patient lift, all terrain wheelchair, commode/shower chair etc. And depending on the activity, she requires 2-4 other people to assist her in that activity so room for numerous passengers is often necessary. For example, for Eva to go to the beach for the afternoon on a sunny day it would require her portable patient lift, her all terrain wheelchair and at least 2 -3 other adults. Presently this would require a 2nd vehicle large enough to accommodate her necessary equipment.

Eva lives on a rural property approximately 20km from downtown Whitehorse. There is no public transportation that provides service anywhere near her home, including the Handy Bus. Even worse, at present there are only 1 or 2 wheelchair accessible taxi's

available in Whitehorse, which require pre-booking and cannot be relied on in an emergency situation. We have also been unable to locally source an appropriate used accessible vehicle that would accommodate Eva and her specific needs.

Eva, her father Erik and I as well as several caregivers have identified the need for a larger and more reliable wheelchair accessible van, preferably before the current van breaks down for the final time. We would have liked to get Eva an electric vehicle (for obvious reasons) , but after researching we have determined that due to living in the Yukon Territory that it just isn't a reasonable option at this time.

As a result, we have decided that the best fit for Eva's current and future needs is a new 2023 Ford Transit 350 Van. This van ticks all the boxes for space and adaptability to accommodate Eva, her equipment and caregivers, now and long into the future. It will require fewer modifications to make it wheelchair accessible since the roof is already raised, allowing Eva to safely get in the van and allowing her caregivers to stand up to secure her in the van and attend to her needs. The only modifications required are the addition of a Ricon Clearway Hydraulic lift and QStraint 8300 wheelchair restraint system, which significantly reduces the cost of more structural modifications required in vehicles without the higher ceiling being factory built.

Eva is an independent minded girl who wants to continue living and doing like others. She works part-time at Lumel Glass Blowing Studio in Whitehorse.

She started the Blue Jays Challenger Baseball program in Whitehorse, she got a tattoo (or two), was the first person in a wheelchair to go whitewater rafting on the Tatsheshini River, did the Sourtoe cocktail in Dawson City, went in a floatplane, fell in love with skiing on a sit ski etc. She has had her toes in all the oceans except the Arctic.

Her bucket list is long and her motto is "Improvise, Adapt and Overcome". She has had all of her wonderful adventures thanks to many many people who have supported her dreams in various ways. These people are affectionately known as Team Eva.

So in conclusion, Eva needs a safe, reliable wheelchair accessible van that will accommodate her needs in order to fully live her life in the beautiful Yukon Territory.

Any amount you are willing to contribute is hugely appreciated, and if you aren't able to contribute financially at this time, a share with your friends and family would mean the world to us.

Anything you can do to help will make you a welcomed member of Team Eva!

Thank you for taking the time to consider this request.