Matt Laplante Needs New Wheels!

Hi! My name is Renee Clark and I've been working one-on-one with Matthew Laplante for twenty-three years. Recently we received the bad news that Matt's van, which went in for repairs, cannot be fixed. This puts us in a bit of a tight spot as it's the only transportation we have to attend Dr's appointments and activities in the community, especially in the winter! At this time we are on the lookout for either a used van that we can convert into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle OR an already converted one. While the state services that he receives are willing to pay for the conversion, they will not pay for the vehicle itself. We are reaching out to the community that Matt loves so much for help to find the van, and to purchase it. Thank you for reading, and for any help you are able to give. For those who have not yet met Matthew, here is a little more about his story.

Matthew was born in Saranac Lake in 1981. Due to complications, his mother tragically lost her life shortly after he was born. At one point after the delivery, the medical team thought that Mathew himself was lost, and called in a Dr to pronounce it. However, there was a whole lot of determination packed into his little body and Matthew pulled through, though he would now have cerebal palsy to contend with.

As he grew up, far exceeding his predicted life expectancy of 10, Matthew developed into the kind and funny man he is today. He loves football, telling jokes, watching the school buses come and go, and volunteering in the community. He has made many friends volunteering all over, including at Elderwood, Bloomingdale School, Price Chopper, and The Wild Center where he always has a smile and a new joke programmed into his talking device.

He also enjoys taking art classes at ADK ArtRise, where he gets to socialize with some of his peers. Because of his unique housing situation, this time is crucial for Mathew's all-around well-being. Additionally, he is subject to a wide variety of medical issues and needs to be able to get to his Dr's office and sometimes to the ER. Having a van is necessity in his life, and Matthew promises to keep showing up to cheer on our local sports teams and volunteer wherever he is needed if we can make this happen for him. Thank you!