54 HOURS! UPDATE - 04/04
At about 8pm CST 04/03 the fundraiser met it's goal of $4000!! I can't beleive it, please check the update's tab for more on that.
The campaign will remain open until the alloted time runs out. That said, any additional funds will be put towards other options on the chair, first the "Offroad Package" and second the LED lighting package.
Thank you again for your generosity!
-----------------------------
Hello, I'm Jim. I'm a married father of two beautiful girls. My oldest daughter is healthy as an ox. My youngest, unfortunately, is not. She had a stroke in utero during the third trimester and has been through a lot in a short time. Despite these difficulties she is an amazing little girl. I have a rare bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) that causes my bones to be brittle and break easily. Due to the disease, I am am short in stature and use a power wheelchair for mobility.
Before our youngest daughter was born, I had started the process of getting a new power wheelchair. During that time, I received a loaner chair which had an elevated seat, and it was amazing. The picture above is of me eating dinner at the counter in my home for the first time ever. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a very independent person, and anything that makes me more independent is fantastic. This chair gave me the chance to do many things that most people take for granted. For example, I had a conversation with my neighbor at eye level for the very first time. Little things like can make a huge difference in my life. All of this was put on hold when our youngest daughter was born so we could focus on her. Here we are 3 years later; and my current chair is now 8 years old and reaching the end of its life.
I went to get fitted for a new chair a few weeks ago. I knew my insurance wouldn't cover it, but I asked about the chair with the elevated seat to find out what I would owe on that chair. It turns out that it was a lot more than I had thought. I'm a pretty social person, so I did a quick little Facebook chat stating the other chair was out of my price range, and that I was sticking with the other chair. To my surprise, several of my friends commented and (even direct messaged me) suggesting that I start a fund raiser to cover the additional cost. Asking for help is not my style, and yet people continued to encourage me to do so. After talking it over with my wife and several close friends, we decided we would give this a shot and see where it takes us.
I haven't committed to the elevated seat chair yet, as I have a few other items that need to be worked out through the insurance company. But once I do, the chair will be ready for pickup in about 90 days. So I have set this fundraiser for half of that time. Every little bit will help us tremendously, from cash donations, to just helping spread the word. I would like to thank you in advance if you would like to contribute. Writing this was really tough for me as I’m not one to ask for help, but we really feel strongly that this chair will greatly improve my quality of life. Thank you for reading, God Bless!
A little about this campaign: I have set it to what is called "Flexible Funding," so what ever money is raised will help us towards the co-payment on the chair and it will be up to us to cover the rest. Thank you again!
