Dylan Spinks Needs a Handicap Accessible Van

UPDATE (7/6/24): As we have gotten more in depth in searching for vans, we have realized that they are much more expensive than we were expecting. I have updated our goal based on this, but please let us know if you know of anything that is on the fairly cheaper side.

UPDATE (7/4/24): We are on the hunt for a van. If anyone has any leads of good and reputable companies, please let us know as we are finding so many scams in this search.

UPDATE (6/5/24): We are so excited to announce that FOCUS, a company that helps disabled children and their families, has awarded us a grant to help towards a van! We still have a long way to go, but this is a huge blessing!

UPDATE (3/14/24): as of last night, the van that they have been transporting Dylan in for the last 18 years has blown a head gasket. It has over 200k miles so we cannot risk putting the money into fixing it.

ORIGINAL POST:

Hello, my name is Amanda Spinks, Dylan's sister. Dylan is 18 years old and is non-verbal and non-ambulatory. My parents became his foster parents at 8 months old (before we knew much about his disabilities) and adopted him around age 5 (his disabilities had made themselves known by now). My mom has been out of work for years due to having to stay home to care for him and my dad only works weekends now because my mom can't do this on her own day to day. She has been told by her doctor not to lift anything heavy at all or she could be paralyzed, so she should be on disability herself.

Dylan has recently fractured his femur and I'm doing all I can to get my parents the help they need and so truly deserve. They have given their lives for this boy, literally their lives. They ask for nothing in return and have no idea I'm even creating this GoFundMe account. I am hoping to raise enough money to buy a handicap accessible van so getting to and from doctor's appointments and going on adventures daily with Dylan are even possible if only one person is around. My parents are so limited to what they can do because it is such a feat to get him loaded into their current van (it is so old that a conversion wouldn't be ideal). It would be life-changing to have a van that we can roll him right into rather than having to have two people, one to grab under his arms and one to grab his legs, in order to get him into the van. This is how he is lifted from his wheelchair to the bed, shower, anywhere and visa versa. This isn't safe for both him or my parents so if we don't raise enough for a van, any money raised will go to equipment in the house to help get him around safely.

If anyone might have resources on handicap accessible vans, please contact us as we have not found the exact van to purchase.