Providing accessible transportation to individuals and organizations that cannot afford them.

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The Murphy Family Takes Delivery of Their New Mobility Van

Written by carolyn on February 7, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Debra, her husband Shawn and their sons with Sarah Hogan, their Ride Away Mobility Consultant

For over three years a  nuerological condition and lack of accessible transportation have made it impossible for Debra Murphy to participate in activities outside of her home.  Debra wrote a very nice thank-you letter to The Ralph Braun Foundation expressing that her hopes and prayers of playing an active role in her family life had been answered.  She also expressed her appreciation for Sarah Hogan and Ride-Away Handicap Equipment in North Attelboro, MA for all of their assistance.

Posted in 2011 Awards

Rebecca Behind the Wheel of Her New Van

Written by carolyn on February 3, 2012 — Leave a Comment

For 31 years Rebecca Smith has lived with paraplegia and loaded and unloaded her wheelchair into her vehicle herself.  One can only imagine the toll this takes on the body over a long period of time.  When Rebecca’s father passed away recently she moved in with her mother who likes to ride with her in her vehicle.  This meant that her mother had to load and unload the wheelchair.  Rebecca started working with Paul from Advanced Vehicle Modifications in Ocala, Florida to find a solution for her transportation dilemma.  Paul assisted her in selling  her current vehicle and in the selection, financing and grant application for the new van.  The Ralph Braun Foundation is pleased to be a part of the solution by selecting Rebecca’s project for funding.  This provided a portion of the total needed to make the van a reality.

Posted in 2011 Awards

The Kerns Family

Written by carolyn on January 26, 2012 — Leave a Comment
The Kerns Family with their new Mobility Van

The Kerns Family with their new mobility van

In June of 2011, Jack and Betsy Kerns of Rock Hill, S.C. met with E.J. Dulina, a senior mobility consultant at Carolina Mobility Sales in Charlotte, N.C. The Kerns were in need of a wheelchair accessible van for their son John Ross.  John Ross is in a wheelchair due to Cerebral Palsy; and, as he’s grown, transporting him to school, doctor visits and therapy has become more and more difficult, especially for his mom, Betsy.

Betsy suffers from chronic back pain. No doubt, lifting and positioning her son in and out of their non-mobility vehicle on a daily basis was further stressing her back. So, the Kerns visited Carolina Mobility Sales in hopes of a solution. After a thorough assessment by Dulina it was clear the Kerns were in desperate need of a wheelchair accessible vehicle for the safe and comfortable transportation of John Ross.

The Kerns were so appreciative of the care given to them by Dulina as he shared an understanding of the sacrifices the Kerns family has made due to lack of a proper vehicle. Dulina himself has a son, Ryan, who is a wheelchair user.

“When we met with E.J. (Dulina), I knew I had met a consultant who cared. He was well trained and he had experience.  He was concerned for John Ross and his needs, but he also understood that we as a family wanted to travel together.  E.J. vowed to help us solve our mobility needs, and he did!”

The Kerns and Dulina kept in touch weekly as Betsy and Dulina explored every possible way to reach a vehicle solution. Together they searched and applied for assistance grants, loans and state programs and were denied several times. And then, one day Dulina got an email from The Ralph Braun Foundation offering up to $5000 for any qualifying family. Dulina called Betsy with the news and they applied for the grant.

Grant awards were announced on December 16th and on Christmas Eve, everything came together. The Kerns family drove off in their 2011 Chrysler Town & Country Braun Entervan. Perhaps, they crossed paths with Santa… who knows?   We do know that we were only too happy to participate in the great Christmas story.

 

 

Posted in 2011 Awards