A Kelmscott family is appealing to the public for financial help so they can buy a new set of wheels to enable their daughter to get from A to B without any struggles.
Twelve-year-old Grace Boubis was born with Athetoid cerebral palsy with low muscle tone.
She has severe scoliosis and suffers from a sensory processing disorder and a sleep disorder.
Despite her health struggles Grace is a very energetic and bubbly girl who loves being outdoors, is always laughing and loves going to school.
Her mother Melissa Brooke is Grace’s full time carer and helps her with everything including feeding, dressing and lifting her in and out of her bed and wheelchair.
However as Grace approaches her teen years it is getting more and more difficult for her mother to lift her in and out of the car and they are now housebound until they can afford a more suitable vehicle.
“It started becoming quite difficult the last 12 months,” she said.
“She’s had a huge growth spurt this year and has got very tall and now weighs 40 kilograms.
“The vehicle I need is a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which means I could transfer Grace in her wheelchair and not have to lift her in and out of the car.
“I also wouldn’t have to push her wheelchair up ramps into the back of the car.”
The family has turned to crowd funding website GoFundMe to raise the $25,000 needed to buy a specific vehicle, which will then be modified with funds from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
“Starting the GoFundMe page was my last option as I’m a single mum getting no support at all and I can’t find work with flexible hours due to the numerous appointments Grace has,” she said.
“I’m Grace’s full time carer and only get three hours a week for a support worker.”
Ms Brooke said the support she has received so far has been amazing and very overwhelming as total strangers have come to her aid and donated a few dollars.
The fundraising page has raised more than $6500 in the past two months.
To donate visit the GoFundMe page.
