Adam Short's Independance

Help Adam Short Replace his Wheelchair-Accessible Truck.

Hi, I’m Luc Fournier, and I’m reaching out to our community and beyond to help my brother-in-law and friend, Adam Short, a lifelong Belleville resident, devoted family man, and hardworking employee at Maritime Travel.

Twenty years ago, a motorcycle accident changed his life leaving him quadriplegic reliant on a wheelchair. He’s never let that stop him from being an amazing husband to his wife and dad to his two young boy or from being a great contributor to our tight-knit Belleville community. If you know him, he takes life in stride and never complains always seeing the best side of things

Since his accident Adam has fought hard for a new quality of life and independence. For years, Adam has depended on a specially modified truck to get around. It’s not just a vehicle—it’s his lifeline. With it, he gets to work, takes his kids to school and sporting events, and lives with the independence he has created for himself. Now his truck is on its last legs and if he can't get in the truck and drive it he can no longer go to work, the kids activities, anywhere.

Replacing it with another wheelchair-accessible vehicle comes with a staggering price tag: $150,000 for the truck and modifications. We realize everybody needs to replace aging vehicles, so we're not asking for donations towards the vehicle but not everybody has a $75,000-$100,000 modification that needs to be done so they can drive the vehicle. Not to mention, they wont allow most modifications to be done on a used vehicle. This is what the donations will be going towards. As a family, we’ve done all we can, but he simply can’t afford this on his own.

Because Adam works part-time at Maritime Travel he does not qualify for any funding or government assistance and his insurance or benefits do not cover modifications to vehicles. That’s why we’re turning to you. We’re aiming to raise $75,000 to start covering the cost of the modifications from a company called ATC Mobility equipping the truck with a chair lift, hand controls, and everything needed for Adam to drive completely independent. ATC Mobility is the only company that modifies pickup trucks in a way that Adam can use independently and they price themselves very competitive to modifying a Minivan and if any of us know Adam, we know he would prefer a pickup truck.

Every donation—no matter how small—brings us closer to giving Adam the freedom and security he’s earned.

Born and raised in Belleville, he’s one of our own. He’s spent years helping others plan their dream trips at Sears Travel then at Maritime Travel, and now we’re asking for help to keep his own journey going. Whether it’s $5, $50, or just sharing this page with your friends, your support means the world to him, his wife, and their two little boys.

Thank you for reading his story and for any help you can give. Together, we can keep Adam on the road—where he belongs.

Many many Thanks,

Luc & The Fournier/Short Family