Help Aliza get an Accessible van or SmartDrive!

I’m Aliza, and I’m raising funds to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible van with hand controls, or a SmartDrive device for my manual wheelchair to be able to more safely be active, go to activities outside of my home, get back to doing the things that I love to do, and have more independence.

Many of you know that my health has been rough since my early teens. In my late teens/early twenties, I required the use of a wheelchair, and I had a wheelchair-accessible van (an Entervan), and that gave me the freedom to be independent while I was a student at the University of Maryland in 2005-2007 before I had to come home on medical leave.

My strength and mobility have been a challenge for a while now, and they’ve taken a big hit this past Spring and Summer, bringing me to what is a new, lower baseline. Frustratingly, I have very low stamina, even after many, many sessions working with Physical and Occupational Therapy in-home visits. I am not able to walk very much, and I am very unsteady (and unsafe!) when I do. PT and OT have both agreed that it is best to right now use my wheelchair - either a power chair or if I have someone else with me, my manual chair. I also do not have the stamina to use the manual wheelchair for long periods of time by myself, particularly depending on how I am feeling on a given day. If I were to have the SmartDrive device that I could attach to my wheelchair, which is a lightweight mini-motor that turns the manual wheelchair into a hybrid manual/power wheelchair. I would still be required to use my body strength to power the chair, but much less than what is necessary without the added boost from the SmartDrive, which will add power to propel the wheelchair up to 5.5mph for 12 miles per charging cycle. It does not have to remain on and in use the entire time and can be controlled with a tap on a watch-like device on the wrist.

The best solution is to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van, on which we can put my hand controls so that I can drive the van myself when I want and when necessary, but the SmartDrive is a very close second, and in many ways, a better option as it preserves the body strength that I have remaining in my upper body, which is still quite strong, and that allows me to move around and get physical exercise. That will give me the freedom to be able to venture out safely by myself, have the safety and security of my wheelchair once at my destination, and not worry about further falls or mishaps… I’ve had enough of those this year! It will also mean that I will be able to be fully independent once I arrive at my destination, I will not have to worry quite as much about my body completely wearing out before I even get going, and just focus on enjoying the activity, the people with whom I am visiting, and the environment in which I find myself. While some see the wheelchair as being a step backward and a restrictive environment, with the right equipment - a combination of the power wheelchair (done) and either SmartDrive (still need to obtain - that's what this GoFundMe is for) or wheelchair-accessible van (still need - that’s what this fundraiser is for), I can have a much greater sense of independence, and ability to be independent without the fear of injury.

My goal for this fundraiser is to raise as much money as I can to go toward the purchase of a SmartDrive, and ultimately, a wheelchair-accessible van. There are very few dealerships that work with these vehicles, and I am fortunate that there is a dealership in Raleigh. Wheelchair-accessible vans, well vehicles in general, are factory-modified vans (and these days sometimes an SUV) that have a lowered floor, an added fold-out or slide-out ramp to enter the vehicle (you can read more information here), and hand controls on the vehicle so that a person with mobility impairments can safely drive. These vehicles are much more expensive than your average minivan. Prices range from a used van with quite a bit of mileage for around $50,000 to a new van for $77-90,000. All of the funds raised from this fundraiser will go towards the purchase and initial maintenance of a wheelchair-accessible van.