A van for Tucker and his clan
Donation protected
February 4, 2006, my son Josh and his wife Alisha, were blessed with their second beautiful baby boy, Tucker. Their first child, Jackson, was so excited to have a new little brother. On Tucker's second day of life, he had his first seizure. Tucker was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms, a particularly damaging form of seizures. Those seizures left Tucker with severe developmental delays and eventually he recieved the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.
When Tucker was 1-1/2 years old, Josh and Alisha had their 3rd child, a little girl that they named Adilynn Faith. They felt that Addie rounded out their sweet family and settled in to figuring out how to be a family of 5 with one of their children having special needs. To their shock and surprise, they were blessed with 2 more little girls. Even though their last 2 children weren't planned, Rilynn Hope and Evangelyn Grace bring such joy and laughter to their family! Their busy family of 7 has stresses and challenges but they take them as they come. Their latest challenge is long overdue as their aging Honda Odessy is on it's last leg.
As with many families of children with special needs, the Rosanbalm family has come to a place where an accessible van is a desperate need. Tucker is a tall boy so lifting and transferring him into their 2005 Honda Odessy van has become very difficult. Loading all 7 of the family in the van as well as Tucker's wheelchair, diaper bag, groceries etc. is much like circus clowns packed into a VW. It has become very apparent that the Rosanbalm's next van needs to be a larger wheelchair converted passenger van so they have room for everyone, all the equipment and still have space to lay Tucker out to change his diaper when they are out about or on long trips.
After a lot of research, Josh and Alisha have decided on a Ford Transit van with a wheelchair conversion package. This will give the family 7 seats, room for the wheelchair to be locked down with Tucker still sitting in it and space to lay Tucker on the floor of the van to change his diaper.
An accessible vehicle is far from a luxury for families of children with special needs. It is a true necessity! It is also important that they purchase a newer vehicle... they need this van to last a long time because the cost of the conversion! They need a dependable van that is not going to break down or have to dump money into fixing their van.
A Ford Transit accessible van with the wheelchair conversion package costs approx $63,000. I am hoping and praying that we will be able to raise the full amount because there are always unexpected as well as the expected costs that a family of a child with special needs has! A vehicle payment of this amount would be hard for any family let alone a family with a special needs child.
Please consider helping my son and his wife to raise the funds for this van quickly because when I say their Honda van is on it's last leg, it is actually broke down and Josh had to rent a van at $600 per week.
A note from Alisha (Tucker's Mom):
Thank you so much to everyone who has given so far. Josh and I are sincerely grateful. I've hesitated and talked myself out of posting on my own page more times then I want to admit...it's not easy asking people for help. (my mother-in-law has been managing the page for the most part... Thank you for that Sunny Rosanbalm !�
I'm just going to be really honest here and this may be a long post and it may sound a little doom and gloom, but just keep reading... It gets better, promise...
Without going into too many details. Although, if you're interested, I'll gladly tell you Tucker's story... It's my favorite! But, when Tucker was just a little guy (he wasn't ever really little, almost a nine pounder at birth), everything was still so uncertain, we weren't quite sure what was in store for his future. We didn't know if he would walk or talk... We were hopeful...still are...God isn't finished.
One of the things I told myself and my family is that if Tucker didn't walk, I would carry Tucker the rest of his life if I had to. And for the past ten years that's exactly what I've done. Now, before you go getting this picture of some "super-mom" toting around my 75 pound child everywhere, He's used a wheelchair for school and when we are out and about since he was 3, but at home and to and from our vehicle, I've carried him... Holding onto as much of that promise I made as I could...For ten years... That's what we've done... Tucker and I...we're a team.
For some reason, this has made his wheelchair seem a little less "permanent" and has made reality a little less "real." The reality is, and deep down I've known it for quite some time, although I want with everything in me to carry my sweet boy forever, my body can't physically handle it any longer. And let's face it, Rosanbalm men aren't exactly petite. So, all that to say, making the decision to upgrade to a new van that's wheelchair accessible, although I know it's necessary, it's been difficult to face in some ways. I'm telling you all this because I wanted you to hopefully see the position of my heart. I'm so humbled by the love and support from our friends and family so far. I'm humbled because I know there are a thousand other kids out there in need of a wheelchair accessible van and a thousand other moms who are torn between reality and hope and by simply the grace of God, choosing to face the next season, as hard as it may be emotionally, with grateful and expectant hearts. But mostly, I'm humbled by my sweet boy who reminds me so well of how much God cares about us...our needs, our hurts, our pain and struggles...He cares so much that He gives us the opportunity to watch Him invade our reality with His goodness and mercy.
From a text my husband sent me yesterday...
"To step into tomorrow's possibilities, you have to be willing to let go of yesterday's realities".
-Christine Caine
I know it's just a van and I'm sure Christine was probably referring to something grander and more exciting when she said this, but I'm ready and excited to "let go" as silly as it may seem, I've been so scared of this moment to actually come... But now I'm ready... I'm looking forward to a van big enough to fit all of us in, including Tuck in his wheelchair and still have room for groceries!!! What??!!! �
-Alisha Rosanbalm
AKA Tucker's proud mom
When Tucker was 1-1/2 years old, Josh and Alisha had their 3rd child, a little girl that they named Adilynn Faith. They felt that Addie rounded out their sweet family and settled in to figuring out how to be a family of 5 with one of their children having special needs. To their shock and surprise, they were blessed with 2 more little girls. Even though their last 2 children weren't planned, Rilynn Hope and Evangelyn Grace bring such joy and laughter to their family! Their busy family of 7 has stresses and challenges but they take them as they come. Their latest challenge is long overdue as their aging Honda Odessy is on it's last leg.
As with many families of children with special needs, the Rosanbalm family has come to a place where an accessible van is a desperate need. Tucker is a tall boy so lifting and transferring him into their 2005 Honda Odessy van has become very difficult. Loading all 7 of the family in the van as well as Tucker's wheelchair, diaper bag, groceries etc. is much like circus clowns packed into a VW. It has become very apparent that the Rosanbalm's next van needs to be a larger wheelchair converted passenger van so they have room for everyone, all the equipment and still have space to lay Tucker out to change his diaper when they are out about or on long trips.
After a lot of research, Josh and Alisha have decided on a Ford Transit van with a wheelchair conversion package. This will give the family 7 seats, room for the wheelchair to be locked down with Tucker still sitting in it and space to lay Tucker on the floor of the van to change his diaper.
An accessible vehicle is far from a luxury for families of children with special needs. It is a true necessity! It is also important that they purchase a newer vehicle... they need this van to last a long time because the cost of the conversion! They need a dependable van that is not going to break down or have to dump money into fixing their van.
A Ford Transit accessible van with the wheelchair conversion package costs approx $63,000. I am hoping and praying that we will be able to raise the full amount because there are always unexpected as well as the expected costs that a family of a child with special needs has! A vehicle payment of this amount would be hard for any family let alone a family with a special needs child.
Please consider helping my son and his wife to raise the funds for this van quickly because when I say their Honda van is on it's last leg, it is actually broke down and Josh had to rent a van at $600 per week.
A note from Alisha (Tucker's Mom):
Thank you so much to everyone who has given so far. Josh and I are sincerely grateful. I've hesitated and talked myself out of posting on my own page more times then I want to admit...it's not easy asking people for help. (my mother-in-law has been managing the page for the most part... Thank you for that Sunny Rosanbalm !�
I'm just going to be really honest here and this may be a long post and it may sound a little doom and gloom, but just keep reading... It gets better, promise...
Without going into too many details. Although, if you're interested, I'll gladly tell you Tucker's story... It's my favorite! But, when Tucker was just a little guy (he wasn't ever really little, almost a nine pounder at birth), everything was still so uncertain, we weren't quite sure what was in store for his future. We didn't know if he would walk or talk... We were hopeful...still are...God isn't finished.
One of the things I told myself and my family is that if Tucker didn't walk, I would carry Tucker the rest of his life if I had to. And for the past ten years that's exactly what I've done. Now, before you go getting this picture of some "super-mom" toting around my 75 pound child everywhere, He's used a wheelchair for school and when we are out and about since he was 3, but at home and to and from our vehicle, I've carried him... Holding onto as much of that promise I made as I could...For ten years... That's what we've done... Tucker and I...we're a team.
For some reason, this has made his wheelchair seem a little less "permanent" and has made reality a little less "real." The reality is, and deep down I've known it for quite some time, although I want with everything in me to carry my sweet boy forever, my body can't physically handle it any longer. And let's face it, Rosanbalm men aren't exactly petite. So, all that to say, making the decision to upgrade to a new van that's wheelchair accessible, although I know it's necessary, it's been difficult to face in some ways. I'm telling you all this because I wanted you to hopefully see the position of my heart. I'm so humbled by the love and support from our friends and family so far. I'm humbled because I know there are a thousand other kids out there in need of a wheelchair accessible van and a thousand other moms who are torn between reality and hope and by simply the grace of God, choosing to face the next season, as hard as it may be emotionally, with grateful and expectant hearts. But mostly, I'm humbled by my sweet boy who reminds me so well of how much God cares about us...our needs, our hurts, our pain and struggles...He cares so much that He gives us the opportunity to watch Him invade our reality with His goodness and mercy.
From a text my husband sent me yesterday...
"To step into tomorrow's possibilities, you have to be willing to let go of yesterday's realities".
-Christine Caine
I know it's just a van and I'm sure Christine was probably referring to something grander and more exciting when she said this, but I'm ready and excited to "let go" as silly as it may seem, I've been so scared of this moment to actually come... But now I'm ready... I'm looking forward to a van big enough to fit all of us in, including Tuck in his wheelchair and still have room for groceries!!! What??!!! �
-Alisha Rosanbalm
AKA Tucker's proud mom
Organizer
Sunny Rosanbalm
Organizer
Columbia, TN