Challenges brought to the Brumer family by Duchenne muscular dystrophy have grown rapidly over recent years. Daniel Brumer, a 12-year-old boy from Kentucky, was diagnosed with Duchenne at six years old. Duchenne is a progressive neuromuscular disorder causing a lack of motor, pulmonary, and cardiac function. Daniel lives with his grandmother, Denise.
Ever since Daniel lost the ability to walk and use his legs, Denise has had to lift him anywhere they travel, including inside their home and into their car. “Daniel has fallen to the ground while I tried to manually lift him into our car,” shares Denise.
A lack of accessible transportation for Daniel and the accessibility equipment he needs on a daily basis put the family at risk for injury. Daniel and Denise also had a hard time attending medical appointments, as they need a lot of help to travel.
The family connected with Jett Foundation through a social worker where they learned of the Accessible Vehicle Fund branch of the Jett Giving Fund, a program that aims to partner with families to fundraise necessary funds for accessible transportation.
As participants in Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund, the Brumer Family raised half of the funds needed for their accessible vehicle before Jett Foundation stepped in to cover the remaining costs and purchase the vehicle outright.
On August 18th, 2024, Daniel, Denise and their community celebrated the arrival of a new safe and accessible van. “We really are just looking forward to Daniel being able to drive his power wheelchair in and out of the new van,” says Denise. “We can now go to appointments and even surprise my mom in Arizona!”
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, Finn’s Friends, the Flatley Foundation , the Killian Family, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy, Michael’s Cause, Ryan’s Quest, 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.
