Zach needs a van!

It is official, Zach has outgrown his handicap carseat and now needs a handicap van to safely cruise the streets. We weren't sure this day would come (after we were first told Zach's diagnosis), but our family is now in need of a handicap van to safely travel with Zach. A quick back story about Zach - he was born premature at 28 weeks and suffered a gut infection on day 14 of his life. This caused him to go into cardiac arrest and unfortunately he suffered a severe brain bleed during his resuscitation. Zach was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and short gut syndrome (he lost a large amount of his intestines from the gut infection). Fast forward 8 years though and we have been gifted with a happy, loving little boy. Zach continues to fight each day and spread his joy to everyone around him.

With Zach being 100% dependent it has become extremely difficult to safely get him in and out of his handicap carseat. Then you throw the weather into the mix and there is another challenge. Once we lift Zach out of the carseat, we then need to get him into his wheelchair which takes some time. By that time we could be soaking wet from rain or snow, or freezing from the cold. The ease of just keeping him in his wheelchair and pushing him into a van would be amazing. He will be more comfortable driving in general as well. His carseat is not as comfortable as his wheelchair. Zach has 2 sisters so a van is perfect for our family. Unfortunately, handicap vans can be costly (used ones start around $50,000 and new ones can go as high as $100,000+), so we are hoping to raise some money to put towards a specific handicap van that suits his needs best. Zach will require diaper changes for the rest of his life, and unfortunately when we are out and about, there are VERY FEW places we can change him. This has resulted in us changing him on our van floor or the back of a truck bed. These are not ideal and now that Zach is much bigger, even these spots are becoming not suitable. The van we are interested in has a third row bench seat that folds into a bed. This is game changing for us. We would always have a safe and private spot to change Zach while running errands, going to doctor appointments (Zach has many), or just out enjoying the day. We know this is a lot to ask for, but we are hoping to just get some help to make the monthly car payments manageable. Our family is extremely grateful for our community who is constantly supporting Zach and just showing us how kind the world can be. Zach is faced with challenges every day and every day he puts a smile on and embraces it. Getting this van would just make Zach's day-to-day easier for him and us. Thank you again for taking the time to hear some of Zach's story and we truly appreciate any help.