Help Christian Get Rolling with an Adapted Van

Christian is a chatty, 18-year-old young man with a compassionate spirit and a quick wit. When he received a standing ovation for his performance of "Lean on Me" at a special needs talent show, Christian said, “Thank you so much. I’ll be here all week.”  He lights up when he’s in front of a microphone and his dream is to be a DJ or the emcee of a game show.

The challenge is Christian was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair for all his mobility needs. At 5'2" tall and 100 pounds, transferring him and his wheelchair into and out of our typical minivan has become too physically demanding for everyone who loves him. 
 
Christian completely relies on us (his family), school-based aids, and caretakers for all his needs. In spite of that, he wants to help wash the car, feed the dog, or carry yard debris on a tarp he pulls behind his wheelchair.

We were managing until October 2019, when I hurt my back and discovered I had severe disc degeneration and shoulder arthritis as a result of pretending to be a superhero all these years. I stopped taking Christian to his therapy sessions, bathing him, and dressing him because I couldn't handle lifting or transferring him. His dad took time off work to handle all that for a year while I recovered. 

Then one summer day, Christian’s older sister was transferring him out of the van and lost her balance. The two of them fell to the ground. He had no injuries, but she shattered her tibia plateau, had reconstructive surgery, spent five days in a Level One trauma hospital, and has titanium rods in her leg. She struggles with leg weakness and sporadic pain, but she can always tell you when it's going to rain.

Transferring Christian is very difficult because cerebral palsy makes some of his muscles too stiff and others too weak, resulting in conflicting muscle strength. His knees won’t bend, and his midsection won’t hold itself up. Folding him into the car and transferring him back and forth to his wheelchair is like wrangling a floppy bear while trying to bend a metal rod. 

To safely transport Christian and his chair, we need a wheelchair-accessible van with a ramp. With an adapted van, we eliminate the need to lift and transfer Christian and his wheelchair. Everyone stays safe and Christian can pursue his dream of becoming a DJ.  If our need touches your heart, please know how deeply we appreciate your help. 


Christian Builds his Resume: 

After dental surgery to remove his wisdom teeth, Christian asked to go on the air at the Ryan Seacrest Studio housed inside Children's Healthcare of Atlanta’s main facility. Fresh out from under anesthesia, he interviewed kids coming in for surgery.

When Christian was in 6th grade, the head football coach invited him to join the team as a sideline coach. He attended home games and we pushed his wheelchair up and down the field so he could root for his team. At the end of his first season, the coach awarded Christian the “Heart of the Lion Award” for courage in the face of stiff odds. The following year, the coach renamed the award, “The Christian Valcheff Heart of the Lion Award.” Every year Christian makes an improvisational speech at the football banquet and gives the award to the next recipient who displays these characteristics. And he proudly uses the microphone!