A local family is hoping to fundraise enough money to purchase a new van to help transport a little girl who has been confined to a wheelchair for most of her young life.
Arianna Price is five years old and has a diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathic brain injury secondary to cardiac arrest. She suffered the injury at the age of 14 months, having been previously healthy and the family’s lives have been drastically changed since then.
Due to the brain injury, Price is totally dependent on her caregivers for all mobility, transfers, care, hygiene and activities of daily living, but as she grows, these tasks are proving more difficult, especially when it comes to moving and transporting the young girl.
“She’s difficult to get into our van, because she’s heavy and it’s not just safe. It’s getting unsafe for her,” said grandmother Laura Punko, who noted there are only several vans that meet the specifications for the modifications needed.
Price’s mother Charlene, is a single parent with another child, who also has a bad back and is finding it more and more difficult to lift and maneuver her daughter with the van they have, which belongs to Punko.
Charlene is unable to work because caring for Arianna is a full-time job in and of itself, said Punko.
To alleviate that, the new van will be modified to include a lift, which will take Price from the ground and securely into the vehicle, in a safe and efficient manner, that will help everyone involved.
People have already been so generous, said Punko.
President’s Choice Children’s Charity donated $19,000, which will go towards the special modifications needed to accommodate Price in the van, but the van itself still needs to be purchased.
The family has also teamed up with the Westlock Elks and Qi Creative to fundraise to help purchase the wheelchair adaptive van, that will make life easier for not only Price, but her caregivers as well.
“They’re doing really awesome,” said Punko.
“We certainly appreciate all their help and we couldn’t do it without them. We couldn’t depend just on the Gofundme page because people really don’t like donating online.”
The Gofundme page has helped collect nearly $2,000 of the $25,000 goal.
If you would like to help out you can visit the Gofundme page at www.gofundme/adaptive-van-for-arianna. For people who are not comfortable with donating online, cheques and e-mail money transfers are also accepted, even cash.
If you require a tax receipt, cheques can be made out to The Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children and mailed to the Westlock Elks #330, Box 5351, Westlock, AB, T7P 2P4.
