Help Maria and Pip get their modified vehicle

We are fundraising for a modified vehicle for Maria and Pip, our incredible friends whose recent catastrophic accident has left them both paraplegic. Yes, both of them!

What was supposed to be a simple boat trip on the Noosa River ended in disaster. The boat met with a horrific accident, landing Maria and Pip in the ICU with life changing spinal injuries. Pip had a broken neck, rib fractures, blocked artery and brain bleed. Maria had a broken back and multiple rib fractures.

After a few weeks in intensive care, Maria and Pip are now in rehab, learning to adapt to life with paraplegia. While the future may be uncertain, thankfully, they are still together and trying to recover from these horrific injuries.

Of critical importance right now is a VEHICLE.

An especially modified van that can hold them both is the ONLY answer. And as luck would have it, there is a second hand one that meet their needs available right now. It's got a big price tag...these vans are super expensive!

There are no taxis or maxi cabs that travel to and from their small town near Ballarat. Maria and Pip need their own specialised vehicle to enable independent travel and access to services.

The pair are busy right now getting their licenses again, determined to drive this vehicle with all the necessary modifications. While they get ready, please help us make sure they get the vehicle they need.

A message from Pip and Maria, “We do everything together. We share our home together, travel to Melbourne each day to work at the same school and now we’ve become paraplegics together."

Maria and Pip are keen to get back to their home and community. Maria, in particular, who is profoundly Deaf, would benefit so much from visiting her Deaf friends in Melbourne. Having a mobility van to get around to see precious family and friends who live over 100 km away would make an enormous difference. Without a van Maria and Pip would certainly be stuck.

Please contribute what you can. Help them get home, together.