Dallas Barnes is a 13-year-old boy from Wetumpka, Alabama living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dallas’ parents, Jennifer and Jeremy, were informed of their son’s diagnosis when he was just five years old. The family braced for a life with this Duchenne diagnosis but no amount of preparation would cover all the challenges that come with rapid muscle degeneration and loss of ability to walk.
In recent years, Jennifer has undergone back surgery and pain due to the physical toll that caring for Dallas brings. To navigate outside the home with Dallas, Jennifer and Jeremy had to manually lift him in and out of their car just to make medical appointments, school, and daily family activities.
“Traveling became a nightmare for us each day,” says Jennifer. “It was unsafe for us to leave the home, even when we absolutely needed to, never mind needing to spend quality time together as a family.”
Thankfully, the Barnes family found their way to Jett Foundation’s Jett Giving Fund program where the Accessible Vehicle Fund assisted in delivering an accessible vehicle to their front door in December of 2024 after fundraising efforts. Jennifer shares, “Had it not been for other families in our community and Jett Foundation’s support through this process, we still would not have an accessible van for Dallas and our family. This van keeps the wear and tear off of Dallas’ power wheelchair, removes the safety risk we all took each time we lifted him and allows us to get to important medical appointments.”
During his van celebration, Dallas was joined by his siblings and family who all experienced the same relief of getting from point A to point B in a safe, accessible manner. “Every time we felt like we couldn’t do more, we had loved ones pick up the torch for us to continue spreading the word,” says Jennifer. “I hope our community keeps leaning on each other as we leaned on them and Jett Foundation during a difficult time.”
The Jett Giving Fund program has helped transform the lives of countless families across the country since its inaugural cycle in 2017, gifting over $4.5 million worth of accessible vehicles, small medical equipment, and emergency assistance thanks to the generous support of individual donors, local communities, and major sponsors including Cure Dale’s Duchenne, Austin’s Hope, Finn’s Friends, the Flatley Foundation, ITF Therapeutics, the Killian Family, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy, Michael’s Cause, Robert E. & Marie Orr Smith Foundation, Ryan’s Quest, Nicholoff Family in honor of PJ’s Protocol, and Sarepta Therapeutics.
To assist families impacted by Duchenne through the Accessible Vehicle Fund, Emergency Fund, and Equipment Assistance Fund, you can donate today or reach out to Maura Carroll, Director of Development, at [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
If you or someone you know is in need of support or would like more information on our Jett Giving Fund, please visit www.jettfoundation.org/giving-fund.
