Variety Teen Maddison and her family recently received a life-changing gift from Variety – an adaptive van. This van is making it possible for her to travel safely and comfortably, something that may seem simple, but is making a big difference.
Visiting fun places like the mall or the park has long been out of reach for Maddison. She needs a power wheelchair to get around, and her family did not have a vehicle that could easily transport both her and this crucial piece of medical equipment.
To go anywhere, Maddison had to be transferred into the front seat of her family’s SUV. This presented safety risks and was a very long process that also required her to be disconnected from her feeding pump, leaving her without nutrition for periods of time. In addition, lifting 17-year-old Maddison in and out of the van was proving more difficult for both of her parents as time went on.
Because these risks often outweighed the benefits of going out, Maddison’s family often chose to just stay home.
“We had to be very thoughtful about where we took her,” says Maddison’s mom, Kristen.
Kristen knew that an adaptive van would solve these problems and help her family experience independence and freedom, but obtaining one seemed out of reach. Maddison has several complex diagnoses that require multiple pieces of costly yet critical medical equipment, making adding the cost of an adaptive van (which starts at $60,000) seem improbable, if not impossible.
Thanks to Variety’s incredibly generous supporters, we were able to make this dream a reality for Maddison and her family. Kristen shares that, not only will they be able to more easily travel to important places like the doctor’s office, but they will also now get to have exciting new experiences as a family, like the drive-thru Halloween light display at Grant’s Farm.
Because of this van, Maddison and her family are going to live life to the fullest. And we can’t wait to see where they go next!
