Sandra Broadway needs a wheelchair van

Meet Sandra Broadway, my mom. It’s been almost twenty years since she was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease called Primary Lateral Sclerosis. Over time she has gradually lost her ability to walk, to talk, and to eat. Ten years ago, she suffered her most devastating loss when her husband (my dad) passed away from cancer. That’s when I became her full-time caregiver.

At first, I found it relatively easy to get her to and from doctor appointments, even though most of her specialists are located in Charleston, SC, a two-hour drive for us. However, in recent years she has become prone to pressure sores, which makes it difficult (sometimes painful) for her to sit for hours in a car or in a standard push wheelchair. Fortunately, Medicare made it possible to obtain a power wheelchair that helps with her posture and her comfort. Unfortunately, I have no means of transporting this behemoth of a machine. Medicaid offers transportation services, but their reliability is spotty at best.

My mother had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. We should really be on the way to Charleston right now so she can get her PEG tube replaced. Instead we’re stuck at home and I’m writing this because Medicaid transportation canceled our ride at the very last minute—AGAIN. This has become a common occurrence. I can’t even tell you how often this has happened, but I know it would take more fingers than I’ve got to tally it up. Not to mention the handful of times drivers actually did show up only to abandon us at the doctor’s office for five-plus hours unsure how we would get home. Reluctantly I finally had to admit the time has come for us to purchase our own wheelchair accessible van so we can gain more independence and make it to her doctor appointments on time.

People often remark on the self-sacrifice it took to become Mom’s caregiver, but it was an easy decision for me. It was easy because of the generosity my mother taught me. She has given me so much. I hope you’ll consider helping me give her a van that she needs so much in order to keep seeing her specialists.