Raising Funds for an Accessible Van
For three brothers only a couple years apart, a childhood together is best spent making memories, playing games, and exploring the wonders of imagination. For Christopher (14), Julian (12), and Geovanii Vargas (9), these opportunities are currently limited as they all are diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disorder causing a loss of motor, pulmonary, and cardiac function.
The boys live with and are cared for by their parents, Emerald and Francisco, in San Antonio, Texas. They also have a three-year-old brother, Nicolas.
Diagnosed at very young ages, Duchenne has taken a toll on the boys’ bodies as they grow in size and lose their ability to walk. Christopher and Julian rely on wheelchairs to move about while Julian is transitioning into a wheelchair full time and struggles with muscle degeneration more each day. From helping them get dressed to lifting them around the house and into the car, Emerald and Francisco have reached a high level of risk without having safe and reliable transportation for their family.
Emerald shares, “The only place my boys can go is to school because their bus has a lift for the wheelchairs. Other than that, we miss out on all family gatherings or activities, including Christmas this year since we can’t lift them anymore. Making memories and keeping our family safe is of utmost importance.”
“Having an accessible van would change our world.”
Christopher, Julian, and Geovani also require a lot of medical appointments due to Duchenne that the family can’t make it to. Their parents often take work off to coordinate ways they can visit the doctor, which is vital for their health.
Thankfully, the Vargas family found Jett Foundation’s Accessible Vehicle Fund program to bring safety to their daily travels. As participants in this program, the Vargas family is aiming to raise half or more of the necessary funds for their accessible vehicle before Jett Foundation covers the remaining expenses and purchases the vehicle outright.
The Vargas 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:
Donate Today
All donations to Jett Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed under applicable law and is an unrestricted contribution to the Jett Giving Fund. The family is working to raise half the funds needed for their van or more; when they reach their goal, Jett Foundation will cover the remaining costs and coordinate purchase and delivery of the vehicle.
