Wheels for Mateo!
Donation protected
Hi!
My name is Mateo and I am 7 years old. I am asking for your help so my mom can buy a handicap accessible van for me. I was born at 29 weeks and spent my first 5 months in the NICU on life support. As a result I have spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, dystonia, and chronic heart and lung disease. This causes me to have uncontrollable muscle spasms, and stiffening or straightening out of muscles. I am unable to move on my own and need a wheelchair to get around.
My mom currently has a 2006 Honda Accord. This car was fine when I was smaller, but now that I am bigger I need a van that can hold my wheelchair and all of my equipment. It is getting harder and harder for my mom to get me in and out of the car and my wheelchair no longer fits in the trunk. Sometimes we have to leave it at school until someone else volunteers to pick it up and bring it home for us. My mom then has to carry me, which is really hard on her back. Life would be so much safer for everyone if my wheelchair could be rolled into the van and tied down.
One of my greatest pleasures in life is going on outings with my family. I enjoy watching the planes as they take off and land at the airport and going to the museums in DC. I would also love to visit my extended family, but I’ve never met them because we don’t have a vehicle large enough to carry all my equipment. I often have to stay home because it’s so hard to go places. Having an accessible van would allow me to participate in more activities, be a part of the family and have a better quality of life.
Wheelchair vans are very expensive, running upwards of $50,000+ for a new one. Mom has made numerous phone calls to try to find assistance with getting a handicap accessible van but the help just isn't there. So, we are trying to raise enough money for mom to purchase a used van, with low miles, that includes all the proper equipment that I need.
Thank you so much for considering my request. My family appreciates any assistance that will help get us closer to our goal. Please share this page. God bless you!
My name is Mateo and I am 7 years old. I am asking for your help so my mom can buy a handicap accessible van for me. I was born at 29 weeks and spent my first 5 months in the NICU on life support. As a result I have spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, dystonia, and chronic heart and lung disease. This causes me to have uncontrollable muscle spasms, and stiffening or straightening out of muscles. I am unable to move on my own and need a wheelchair to get around.
My mom currently has a 2006 Honda Accord. This car was fine when I was smaller, but now that I am bigger I need a van that can hold my wheelchair and all of my equipment. It is getting harder and harder for my mom to get me in and out of the car and my wheelchair no longer fits in the trunk. Sometimes we have to leave it at school until someone else volunteers to pick it up and bring it home for us. My mom then has to carry me, which is really hard on her back. Life would be so much safer for everyone if my wheelchair could be rolled into the van and tied down.
One of my greatest pleasures in life is going on outings with my family. I enjoy watching the planes as they take off and land at the airport and going to the museums in DC. I would also love to visit my extended family, but I’ve never met them because we don’t have a vehicle large enough to carry all my equipment. I often have to stay home because it’s so hard to go places. Having an accessible van would allow me to participate in more activities, be a part of the family and have a better quality of life.
Wheelchair vans are very expensive, running upwards of $50,000+ for a new one. Mom has made numerous phone calls to try to find assistance with getting a handicap accessible van but the help just isn't there. So, we are trying to raise enough money for mom to purchase a used van, with low miles, that includes all the proper equipment that I need.
Thank you so much for considering my request. My family appreciates any assistance that will help get us closer to our goal. Please share this page. God bless you!
Organizer
Tracy Dove
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
