Support O'Neal Blackman
Donation protected
My Husband AL has a 19 year old cousin named O'Neal. He lives with debilitating health conditions. These conditions have severely limited O’Neal’s mobility, creating a very urgent need for a Handicap modified Van. His Mother Shelly has been struggling for a long time to try and find the funds to purchase this vehicle. While she has secured a suitable vehicle, it has put an extreme stress on the Family’s already burdened financial state. I feel compelled to reach out to those who can help O’Neil and his family. Please read his story below as shared by his Mom Shelly….
O'Neal has 3 major health conditions. He has a rare immune deficiency called CGD which makes it impossible to fight off fungal infections. He has had some major infections which left him hospitalized for months at a time when he was younger. We found out about this when he was 15 months old. At the age of seven after a muscle biopsy he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which means that he has a muscle wasting disease that put him in a wheelchair at the age of 9 for the rest of his life. Now at the age of 19 he has basically lost all mobility in his upper body and has to rely on others to help him eat, move around, or even move his arm to get more comfortable. He also has been diagnosed with a complex partial seizure disorder which did cause some seizures, but is controlled by medication.
Having this Van allows O'Neal to travel safely to his doctor's appointments which is a long distance to Halifax. It enables O'Neal to continue his education and attend University (he is in his second year at Acadia University) and to hang out with his friends. We have been lifting him into our old van and putting his chair in the back, which leaves him unsupported and uncomfortable while we travel. We also run the risk of him being injured because he has osteoporosis from a steroid that he was on.
The cost of the van is $50,000. It is a Dodge Grand Caravan with a side-entry and a lowered floor which makes it Handicap accessible. He will be able to be in the passenger side of the front of the van so that when we travel alone, I can assist him. We live in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
O'Neal has 3 major health conditions. He has a rare immune deficiency called CGD which makes it impossible to fight off fungal infections. He has had some major infections which left him hospitalized for months at a time when he was younger. We found out about this when he was 15 months old. At the age of seven after a muscle biopsy he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which means that he has a muscle wasting disease that put him in a wheelchair at the age of 9 for the rest of his life. Now at the age of 19 he has basically lost all mobility in his upper body and has to rely on others to help him eat, move around, or even move his arm to get more comfortable. He also has been diagnosed with a complex partial seizure disorder which did cause some seizures, but is controlled by medication.
Having this Van allows O'Neal to travel safely to his doctor's appointments which is a long distance to Halifax. It enables O'Neal to continue his education and attend University (he is in his second year at Acadia University) and to hang out with his friends. We have been lifting him into our old van and putting his chair in the back, which leaves him unsupported and uncomfortable while we travel. We also run the risk of him being injured because he has osteoporosis from a steroid that he was on.
The cost of the van is $50,000. It is a Dodge Grand Caravan with a side-entry and a lowered floor which makes it Handicap accessible. He will be able to be in the passenger side of the front of the van so that when we travel alone, I can assist him. We live in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Organizer
Jayne Muise-Brown
Organizer
Bolton, ON
