Please help this mom of 2 get a wheelchair van
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Laurie. I am a wife, a mom to 2 amazing boys, and I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is a progressive muscle wasting disease that I have been fighting my entire life. Within the last 5 years I have needed to use a power wheelchair full-time, even to get around my house. The minivan we have now has a lift on the back to transport my wheelchair. While this worked initially, it has become impossible for me to use. Transferring from my wheelchair into the van is getting harder by the day. While I can no longer walk, I have always been able to stand, pivot, and sit down on the drivers or passengers seat. With my strength deteriorating and severe pain in my legs, this is becoming nearly impossible. Every time I do this I risk a serious fall which would almost certainly result in broken bones. I risk losing the small amount of mobility I have left. My kids are still teenagers and rely on me in so many different ways. I'm incredibly sad because it feels like I am letting them down by constantly missing out on life events. This has really taken a toll on my self confidence and my mental health. I feel like my life is slipping away from me. Being disabled is expensive and new wheelchair vans can easily cost $70,000 up. While it would be nice to have a new vehicle, I just want to get a reliable used one. We looked at local dealerships and the average price was around $35,000 for an 8-10 year old van without too much mileage on it. Any money raised will go towards the cost of obtaining a wheelchair accessible van. Please, I really need your help, there is absolutely no way we can afford this on our own. Thank you for reading my story. I hope you can find it in your heart to help me.
Organizer
laurie sore
Organizer
New Port Richey, FL