Brock loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves listening to Willie Nelson, watching the other kids at school and playing with his dad, whom he thinks is the funniest person in the world.
A happy, affectionate and determined 11-year-old boy, Brock is also a Variety Kid living with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hydrocephalus and autism. He is nonverbal but communicates with hand gestures, sounds and choice boards. He uses a wheelchair for mobility and attends weekly therapy sessions.
For Brock and his family, so much of everyday life revolves around making sure he has what he needs to be comfortable, safe and included. And recently, one of those needs was met in a way that is already changing their family’s everyday routine: a new wheelchair-accessible van.
As Brock sat with Lisa and his dad, Matt, watching clips of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while they waited to take their new van home, the significance of the moment was clear.
“Having our wheelchair accessible van has been a total gamechanger for us!” Lisa shared.
When Lisa, Matt and Brock moved back to Missouri from South Carolina in May 2025, they were excited to be closer to family. But around the same time, Brock experienced a major growth spurt, making one part of their daily routine increasingly difficult: getting him in and out of the car.
Lisa had been lifting Brock into the vehicle and carrying him between the car and their home. Then, one day, she fell while carrying him.
“That was when I realized that I couldn’t carry him any longer,” she said.
The family began looking into options for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, but the cost of a specialized van was daunting. Brock had qualified for services in South Carolina through a special Medicaid waiver, but after moving to Missouri, the family found themselves facing a long and uncertain process as they worked to understand their eligibility and options.
They began looking for other organizations and funding sources that could help with the cost. That’s when they connected with Variety.
At an event hosted by United Access, the dealership that sells specialized accessible vehicles, Lisa met Justin, who gave her Anne Young’s business card and suggested she reach out to Variety about funding assistance.
At the time, she wasn’t sure there would be a path forward.
“I felt defeated and scared that we weren’t ever going to be able to afford one.”
Instead, Variety became an advocate for the family throughout the process.
“We were absolutely taken aback by the generosity shown to us by everyone at Variety! Anne and the whole team have been absolute rockstars to help us get into this van.”
For families like Brock’s, accessibility isn’t simply about getting from one place to another. It’s about whether everyday life is possible, and how much work, planning and physical strain it takes to make it happen.
Brock has multiple therapy appointments each week, which means regular trips to Children’s Hospital downtown and Progress West Hospital in O’Fallon. He also needs to get to school, medical appointments and all the ordinary places families go together.
Before the van, every trip meant transferring Brock into a car seat and lifting his wheelchair into the vehicle.
Now, Brock can remain in his wheelchair and travel safely into the van using the ramp.
He is also getting a new wheelchair after outgrowing his current one, which Lisa hopes will make it even easier for him to maneuver and become more independent.
“We no longer have to worry about lifting him up into a car seat and then having to lift his wheelchair into the trunk of the vehicle. It is much safer for all of us and is a much faster process.”
That impact extends beyond school and appointments. The family can now run errands together, visit their favorite stores and spend time out in the community without the same physical strain and logistical challenges. Even a trip to Walmart – Brock’s favorite store – can be a family outing.
Along with financial assistance from Variety, Brock’s wheelchair-accessible van was made possible in part through generous funding from the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board (DDRB). A leading community ally in St. Charles County, DDRB is dedicated to enriching the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families and caregivers. Through this partnership, Brock and his family can travel more safely, comfortably and independently.
“By allowing us to safely transport our son to school, therapy and physician appointments as well as allow our family as a whole more freedom to be social and go places with our son as a family,” Lisa said. “Not having to keep one person at home with him while the other one does the errands or ask someone to watch our son while we do these things has been such a blessing for us!”
When Lisa looks at what Variety has meant for her family, one word comes to mind: lifechanging.
She is grateful not only for the financial assistance that helped make the van possible, but for the people who walked alongside her family during a stressful and uncertain time.
“I’m so grateful for organizations like Variety that understand our healthcare system is dysfunctional and not efficient at all but that children with disabilities have needs that cannot wait years to be approved for Medicaid.”
The van represents safety. It represents independence. It represents fewer physical barriers and less stress. But perhaps most importantly, it represents the ability for Brock and his family to spend more time together out in the world, doing the things families do.
Lisa knows that none of it would have been possible without the generosity of Variety’s donors and supporters.
“Your contributions to Variety are the literal lifeline that gives families like us an opportunity to provide better care for our children and ease the financial burden that comes with having a disabled child.”
You can help more Variety Kids like Brock access the equipment and opportunities they need to thrive. Make a gift today and help Variety continue providing the necessary equipment, therapy, and programing that families need the most.