Wheelchair Accessible Van for Aveen
Donation protected
Aveen is a beautiful 11 year old girl with severe cerebral palsy. She is fed by a feeding tube and is unable to talk or walk. She is pushed in a wheelchair for mobility.
Aveen has already had to overcome great adversity in her 11 years. In addition the challenges she faces on a daily basis from the inability to control her muscles in her body, Aveen and her family overcame a literal life or death situation by immigrating to Canada from Syria. Aveen, her loving parents, Mohamed and Shareefa, and her 4 sisters are a Kurdish family who were living a peaceful and happy life in Raqqa, Syria. They had a comfortable house, car and everything they needed to live a fulfilled life. All of that was snatched away from them when ISIS invaded their town. ISIS would come to their doorstep with weapons, demanding they surrender their possessions. Their car and computers were taken. Aveen was denied access to treatment and was only permitted doctor’s visits in a city far from their home if her father gave a bag of his blood to ISIS. In addition ISIS threatened that if they did not return to Raqqa within 3 days of seeing the doctor, all of their possessions would be confiscated. When ISIS started kidnapping young girls to serve as slaves for their fighters, Aveen’s father made the decision for their family to flee to keep his family safe. They fled to Turkey, leaving behind their home, most of their remaining possessions and their extended family and friends.
When they were given the opportunity to immigrate to Canada as refugees, they gratefully accepted the invitation and underwent the rigorous application process. They arrived in Canada in November 2016 with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The adjustment to life in Canada has been both wonderful and challenging. Aveen and her siblings are thriving at school. Aveen now has a wheelchair with custom seating to properly support her body. Her family welcomed another beautiful daughter a year ago. They no longer have to worry about the safety of their family members. Challenges have arose from adjusting to a completely different culture, relating to others who have no concept of what it is like to live in a war torn country, missing family and friends left behind in Syria, mourning those they lost in the war, getting used to having very little possessions and finding employment. Unfortunately, her father, a former English teacher in Syria, has been unable to find employment, despite his continual search for work.
The family lives on a very meager income, but they are a very close family and are rich in love and laughter. They extend friendship to all that they encounter and welcome each person into their home and treat them as they would their own family.
Aveen is now too heavy to lift in and out of her car seat. Her wheelchair is also very heavy to lift in and out of the van. She is too tall when sitting in the wheelchair to be transported in the van, sitting in her wheelchair . Aveen cannot hold her head up very well, and the positioning her wheelchair provides allows her to be in a slightly reclined position, which is safest for her head and neck. A wheelchair accessible van would allow her to be pushed up a ramp into the van in her wheelchair and would allow her to remain in her wheelchair during transport. In addition, it would allow Aveen and most of her family to travel together for an outing.
This type of vehicle is very expensive and is not something that Aveen’s family can afford. There is no government funding available for this type of equipment.
Please consider helping Aveen and her family to be able to purchase a wheelchair accessible van. We are grateful for any amount you are able to give!
Aveen has already had to overcome great adversity in her 11 years. In addition the challenges she faces on a daily basis from the inability to control her muscles in her body, Aveen and her family overcame a literal life or death situation by immigrating to Canada from Syria. Aveen, her loving parents, Mohamed and Shareefa, and her 4 sisters are a Kurdish family who were living a peaceful and happy life in Raqqa, Syria. They had a comfortable house, car and everything they needed to live a fulfilled life. All of that was snatched away from them when ISIS invaded their town. ISIS would come to their doorstep with weapons, demanding they surrender their possessions. Their car and computers were taken. Aveen was denied access to treatment and was only permitted doctor’s visits in a city far from their home if her father gave a bag of his blood to ISIS. In addition ISIS threatened that if they did not return to Raqqa within 3 days of seeing the doctor, all of their possessions would be confiscated. When ISIS started kidnapping young girls to serve as slaves for their fighters, Aveen’s father made the decision for their family to flee to keep his family safe. They fled to Turkey, leaving behind their home, most of their remaining possessions and their extended family and friends.
When they were given the opportunity to immigrate to Canada as refugees, they gratefully accepted the invitation and underwent the rigorous application process. They arrived in Canada in November 2016 with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The adjustment to life in Canada has been both wonderful and challenging. Aveen and her siblings are thriving at school. Aveen now has a wheelchair with custom seating to properly support her body. Her family welcomed another beautiful daughter a year ago. They no longer have to worry about the safety of their family members. Challenges have arose from adjusting to a completely different culture, relating to others who have no concept of what it is like to live in a war torn country, missing family and friends left behind in Syria, mourning those they lost in the war, getting used to having very little possessions and finding employment. Unfortunately, her father, a former English teacher in Syria, has been unable to find employment, despite his continual search for work.
The family lives on a very meager income, but they are a very close family and are rich in love and laughter. They extend friendship to all that they encounter and welcome each person into their home and treat them as they would their own family.
Aveen is now too heavy to lift in and out of her car seat. Her wheelchair is also very heavy to lift in and out of the van. She is too tall when sitting in the wheelchair to be transported in the van, sitting in her wheelchair . Aveen cannot hold her head up very well, and the positioning her wheelchair provides allows her to be in a slightly reclined position, which is safest for her head and neck. A wheelchair accessible van would allow her to be pushed up a ramp into the van in her wheelchair and would allow her to remain in her wheelchair during transport. In addition, it would allow Aveen and most of her family to travel together for an outing.
This type of vehicle is very expensive and is not something that Aveen’s family can afford. There is no government funding available for this type of equipment.
Please consider helping Aveen and her family to be able to purchase a wheelchair accessible van. We are grateful for any amount you are able to give!
Organizer
Muhamad Muslim
Organizer
Edmonton, AB