Keep Christina Moving!
Donation protected
Christina is a very special 17 year old, 11th grade student in the self-contained, ID Mod special education class at Greenville High School. She is such a social kid, with the kindest soul who always has a smile on her face. During breaks or free time, Christina chooses to socialize with peers and staff. She loves running errands around the building (retrieving prints, delivering items and messages) since it gives her another opportunity to socialize with whomever she comes in contact with. Though she has a speech disability, she is persistent enough to always find a way to communicate her wants, needs, answers, make social comments, and she understands jokes and sarcasm :) This girl is capable of so much more than meets the eye.
In December, 2022, Christina had the opportunity to trial a motorized wheelchair to see if she was capable of operating it. Without ever having this opportunity before, she mastered the operation and maneuverability of a power wheelchair in two days! It gave her a new sense of freedom and independence. She finally received her own personal power wheelchair in September, 2023. She now has the independence to navigate her school community without needing others to push her. She has successfully taken her new power wheelchair to the streets of Greenville (with the supervision of classroom staff), to go on “community-based” instructional field trips every Tuesday, get fountain drinks at the QT, go out to lunch at Zaxby’s, go out for ice-cream, shop at the grocery store, and much more!
Unfortunately, Christina’s new found independence only exists during school hours. Her new power wheelchair stays at school because her family of six has never had a wheelchair accessible vehicle. In the past, when Christina got sick and needed to be picked up from school, her father would have to leave work and disassemble her old manual wheelchair to fit it in the back of their existing vehicle. This is such a hindrance to Christina’s progress in being as independent as possible. If her new power chair would go home, she would be able to go out in the community with her family. If her family had means to transport her new wheelchair, it would change the life of Christina and her family. She would be able to practice life skills such as shopping, eating at restaurants, recreational activities (like going to the park with her younger siblings), visiting her older brother, or going bowling with her family; she would have the opportunity to meet new friends and socialize outside of her home and school.
I have personally seen how Christina’s new found freedom at school has brought her joy. I hope that we, as a community, can give her the same joy while she’s at home. Our goal is to raise enough funds to provide her family with an electric wheelchair loader that can attach to a hitch. If we meet that goal, we will push to provide Christina and her family with a wheelchair accessible van. Let’s see what we are capable of! She is an absolute ray of sunshine and the whole world should have the privilege of meeting her.
In December, 2022, Christina had the opportunity to trial a motorized wheelchair to see if she was capable of operating it. Without ever having this opportunity before, she mastered the operation and maneuverability of a power wheelchair in two days! It gave her a new sense of freedom and independence. She finally received her own personal power wheelchair in September, 2023. She now has the independence to navigate her school community without needing others to push her. She has successfully taken her new power wheelchair to the streets of Greenville (with the supervision of classroom staff), to go on “community-based” instructional field trips every Tuesday, get fountain drinks at the QT, go out to lunch at Zaxby’s, go out for ice-cream, shop at the grocery store, and much more!
Unfortunately, Christina’s new found independence only exists during school hours. Her new power wheelchair stays at school because her family of six has never had a wheelchair accessible vehicle. In the past, when Christina got sick and needed to be picked up from school, her father would have to leave work and disassemble her old manual wheelchair to fit it in the back of their existing vehicle. This is such a hindrance to Christina’s progress in being as independent as possible. If her new power chair would go home, she would be able to go out in the community with her family. If her family had means to transport her new wheelchair, it would change the life of Christina and her family. She would be able to practice life skills such as shopping, eating at restaurants, recreational activities (like going to the park with her younger siblings), visiting her older brother, or going bowling with her family; she would have the opportunity to meet new friends and socialize outside of her home and school.
I have personally seen how Christina’s new found freedom at school has brought her joy. I hope that we, as a community, can give her the same joy while she’s at home. Our goal is to raise enough funds to provide her family with an electric wheelchair loader that can attach to a hitch. If we meet that goal, we will push to provide Christina and her family with a wheelchair accessible van. Let’s see what we are capable of! She is an absolute ray of sunshine and the whole world should have the privilege of meeting her.
Organizer
GHS SRO
Organizer
Greenville, SC