Timothy Kim is a 12-year-old boy from La Habra, California. Diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at a young age, Timothy requires 24/7 care from his parents, Elizabeth and John. Duchenne is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that causes a loss of motor, pulmonary, and cardiac function.
Challenges to move Timothy are heightened by his mom’s cardiac condition (AVM) and his dad’s recent stroke in December of 2022. Transporting Timothy in and out of their old vehicle, which was unfit for his power wheelchair, became near to impossible.
“We were not able to go to many events due to our physical situation,” says Elizabeth. “We relied on reaching out to stores and people we know when we needed something.”
As participants in Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund, the Kim family raised funds necessary for an accessible vehicle by reaching out to their community. Jett Foundation then stepped in to cover remaining costs and coordinate purchase of the vehicle with the help of partner organizations, including Walking Strong.
Walking Strong’s mission is to build a supportive community to help end Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by raising money for ground-breaking research, spreading awareness, and providing aid to children and families with Duchenne. “Walking Strong is pleased to partner with Jett Foundation to provide a safe and reliable form of transportation to the Kim Family to travel wherever they wish. We hope this is the beginning of creating beautiful family memories,” says Valerie Pappas Llauro, founder of Walking Strong.
November 1, 2023, brought light to the Kim Family’s challenging situation when their new safe and accessible vehicle was delivered. Timothy’s teachers and friends joined the family as they started a new chapter of freedom in transportation.
Elizabeth says, “We will now be able to take Timothy out of the house without hesitation, such as to school. We try to find one blessing for each day and live one day at a time.”
Established in 2017, Jett Giving Fund has helped transform the lives of countless families across the country with over $3.5 million worth of accessible equipment and emergency assistance thanks to the generous support of individual donors, local communities, and major sponsors including Cure Dale’s Duchenne, Finn’s Friends, the Flatley Foundation, the Killian Family, Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy, Michael’s Cause, Ryan’s Quest, Sarepta Therapeutics, and Ultragenyx.
You can help us to support more families through the three branches of Jett Giving Fund: the Accessible Vehicle Fund, Emergency Fund, and Equipment Assistance Fund. Donate today or learn more about becoming a sponsor by emailing [email protected].
If you or someone you know is in need of support or would like more information on our Jett Giving Fund, please visit https://www.jettfoundation.org/giving-fund/.
