Fundraising for an Accessible Van
Jacob Fialkowski is 16 years old and was diagnosed with Duchenne at the age of 8. He has two sisters, Isabel (18) and Erica (26), a niece named Avalyn (5), and his mom, Jackie. Jacob’s dad passed away last year from liver cancer. They have three dogs named James, Max, and Alice. They also have a white cat named Echo.
The family had never heard of Duchenne before Jacob’s diagnosis or considered that muscular dystrophy could be the reason he was struggling to walk. Jacob has fallen many times throughout the years, and the last time that he walked on his own resulted in a bad fall. Over the last two years, Jacob has slowly lost the ability to stand altogether.
To be able to drive Jacob in their current, non-accessible vehicle, Jacob’s mom has to hold the arm of the wheelchair up, while his older sister helps him scoot into the back seat. His mom and sister have to drive the motorized wheelchair back inside and break it down into parts to fit into the trunk of their car. Soon, Jacob will not be able to get into the car at all because there will be too much strain on his muscles.
Jacob will also be getting surgery within the next year for scoliosis, making it even more important to be able to get in the car safely.
The Fialkowski family decided to apply to Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund in hopes of obtaining safe, reliable transportation for Jacob and their family. The Accessible Vehicle Fund is one of two branches of support offered through the Jett Giving Fund; Jett Foundation partners with families impacted by Duchenne to raise the necessary funds to obtain this essential and vital item.
If the Fialkowski family is able to fund money for an accessible van, it would improve Jacob’s life tremendously. It would allow him to join clubs at his high school and see his sister off to college. With your help, Jacob will be able to make more friends and go wherever he wishes safely and comfortably, without any worries.
The Fialkowski family has met their fundraising goal and received accessible transportation thanks to supporters like you! You can still support our program and future program participants with a gift to Jett Foundation today:
