Laura Get Back on the Road (and to work)!

Hi, my name is Laura, and I am fundraising to get a new wheelchair-accessible and hand-controlled modified vehicle. I was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type III and became fully wheelchair-bound in 2018. I have overcome several hospital stays and surgeries, with the longest hospital stay being 22 months and 20 surgeries in 2012. Despite that, I went on to obtain my B.S. in Chemistry from NYU in 2016 and recently graduated in 2022 from Rutgers University with my Doctorate of Pharmacy.

After becoming a licensed pharmacist in the fall of 2022, I obtained a Staff Pharmacist position at Morristown Medical Center in December of 2022. On February 3, 2023, when I was driving home from work, due to the cold 5-degree temperatures, my old modified van malfunctioned and ultimately stopped working on I-287, causing the van to swerve across 3 highway lanes back and forth until I could get to the side of the highway. I had to have my van towed as the steering modifications no longer worked appropriately. Unfortunately, the modified steering system in my old van is discontinued, the van has 100,000 miles on it and is 10 years old. The old van cannot be repaired.

I have been stuck at home and unable to go to work, or anywhere for the past 2 months, as I was working with my car insurance to cover the repairs. However, they have ultimately denied any claims I placed. I now am turning to my family, friends, and community members to help me achieve my fundraising goal so that I can afford a new wheelchair-accessible and hand-controlled modified van, return to the job that I love, and be able to achieve the simpler parts of life such as going to family events, or even just the grocery store. Thank you in advance for either a donation or passing this fundraiser on to others!