OSCEOLA COUNTY, Mich,. (WPBN/WGTU) – – A Reed City family is partnering with the Jett Foundation to help raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van.
14-year-old Alexander Mattzela and his 15-year-old brother Michael both have Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Their parents Tabatha and Mike Mattzela say that with this disease, the kids are not able to walk as well as they used to and, as a result rely on wheelchairs.
Both kids have manual and power wheelchairs, but their current van has more than 300,000 miles on it.
The van also has broken side doors, which forces the family to lift them through the passenger door, making power wheelchairs unusable.
“Where it gets really complex is, especially when we have to go to the doctor and navigate those places that are a bit more challenging for them to walk it gets really difficult because I have to push them around and they therefore have los t independence. Versus if we had a van that could, they could access themselves, they could drive themselves up on the ramp, get in the vehicle, move around places with dignity,” said Michael, Tabatha, Alexander and Mike Mattzela.
The Mazzella family is raising $40,000 for a wheelchair-accessible van.
The Jett Foundation will match their funds, and if the goal is reached, the foundation will provide the van.
If you’re interested in making a donation, we have a link to the fundraiser HERE.
