#WheelchairAccessibleVanForJACOB

#WheelchairAccessibleVanForJACOB

(This story is written for JACOB by family & friends)

We are family & friends of Marina (mom), Maeko (sister) & Jacob Tamondong. We are stepping up & taking the move to help the family fund for a wheelchair-accessible van for Marina’s son, JACOB.

Jacob is an active, kind-hearted, smart boy. We’ve known him since he was a baby & watched him grow, together with our children, When he was 3, he complained about some “owies” on his hips, knees, legs, feet while walking. Later on, we noticed that he’s limping as he walks and “tippy-toeing” as he runs. At this point, his mom even noticed that when they go for a longer walk, he barely makes it & again complains of the pain from his hip down to his feet.

They went to see their family doctor to address Jacob’s concerns. X-ray & ultrasound were requested by the family doctor at the Alberta Children’s Hospital to find out the cause. Both xray & ultrasound results came back normal.

Jacob’s mom took the next step to request for a pediatrician or a specialist who can further investigate his condition but apparent wait time will take a year or longer. When Jacob started grade school, his teacher noticed his difficulty in standing up and also even bike-pedalling had become very painful on his legs & feet.

So the teacher, with the help of Calgary Board of Education, requested an immediate medical referral to a pediatrician then eventually to a pediatric neurologist. Further tests were done including some bloodwork and a biopsy to rule out the diagnosis.

March 3 2017, the results of the tests confirmed that Jacob’s condition is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive disease characterized by muscle weakness and wasting of all the muscles that control body movement. The rate at which the disease progresses varies from child to child. However, in all affected children, the disease progresses with NO remissions.

Per neuromuscular clinic’s multidisciplinary team’s assessment in April 2017, Jacob shows significant weakness in all extremities and is in ambulatory stage of the disease.

He experiences physical limitations that require assistance with all activities of daily living. His needs for assistance will increase as he grows and the DMD progresses. He was still able to walk and do fun stuff with family, friends & classmates during the first three quarters of 2019. But his DMD slowly progressed. July 2021, was when his mom noticed that his legs/feet had seriously weakened which made Jacob unable to stand and walk.

His mom is assisted by a social worker to outsource some funds for Jacob’s needs for mobility. They were able to provide a manual wheelchair, an automatic wheelchair and a walker rollator for him.

Jacob's mom is 4’9”-tall lady, a very hardworking single mom who adores her kids very much & would go above & beyond to provide for them. Needless to say, she is raising her children solo, with her low income & support that the children get from the government. In addition, she has some medical concerns as well, that’s makes it harder for her to help mobilize Jacob.

If they need to go anywhere, Jacob’s mom carries and transfers him from the wheelchair to the passenger seat of the car. But with Jacob growing, this is almost impossible to do. Jacob doesn’t have strength & balance which makes it even more difficult.

That being the case, we would like to request your support in raising funds for a #WheelchairAccessibleVanForJACOB.

A wheelchair-accessible van can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. This might seem a lot, but the modifications require highly skilled, careful engineering for these types of vehicles.

Not only will this help ease up the financial burden of the family, but it will also pave the way for Jacob to be able to do more activities, go to more places & somehow enjoy his childhood just like how a 10-year old boy should be.

Any donation to support this cause will be a big help for the family. Please help us get a #WheelchairAccessibleVanForJACOB.

Thank you very much! God bless you all!