WINDER, Ga. — For Beck Cammarata, life looks a lot as it does for many teenagers.
He’s a high school student at Apalachee High. He’s thinking about his future. And he’s found something he truly loves: Power Soccer.
It’s a competitive sport designed for athletes who use power wheelchairs, and for Beck, it’s more than just a game.
It’s independence. It’s joy. It’s a sense of belonging.
But getting there hasn’t always been easy.
Beck was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 5 years old. As the disease progresses, everyday tasks become more physically demanding, including something many of us take for granted: getting from place to place.
For Beck’s family, transportation had become one of their biggest challenges.
“Our current transportation situation has been stressful, unsafe at times, physically demanding, and honestly, we could not afford an accessible van to fit his needs on our own,” his mom, Brandi, shared.
So they made a difficult decision.
They asked for help.
Through the Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund, the Cammarata family began sharing their story, hoping their community would hear it.
And they did.
The family showed up every day, posting on social media, reaching out to local businesses, going door-to-door, holding on to hope, even when the goal felt out of reach.
The foundation’s accessible car fund helps families buy accessible vans if they raise half of the purchase price themselves.
“There were days I thought we would never reach our goal,” Brandi said. “But even when the numbers look impossible, you will see them climb.”
Little by little, they did.
And in the end, that support turned into something life-changing: a fully accessible van.
Now, for the first time in a long time, the entire family can travel together safely.
- No more worrying about how to transport Beck’s wheelchair.
- No more traveling separately.
- No more added stress on a family already carrying so much.
“Freedom,” Brandi said. “Freedom to safely travel wherever we can safely.”
But for Beck, the impact goes even deeper.
His mom says he often felt the weight of the family’s challenges, worrying about the financial strain and the effort it took to get him where he needed to go.
Now, he can focus on being a teenager, spending time with friends, playing the sport he loves, and looking ahead to what’s next.
Even dreaming about driving someday.
This moment was years in the making. And for the Cammarata family, it’s a reminder of what can happen when people come together, and when a community refuses to let one of its own face something like this alone.
“If I could share anything, it’s this: you are not alone,” Brandi said. “Lean on each other, celebrate every win, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
