Goal Reached! 12-Year-Old Stephen Gets His New Wheelchair Van

Emily Progin, Content Manager

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Release: Immediate

GOAL REACHED! 12-YEAR-OLD STEPHEN GETS HIS NEW WHEELCHAIR VAN

In 1 Month, Community Fundraising Helped McGrath Family Bring a Dream Within Reach

MCKINNEY, Texas—On June 28, Casey and Kayleigh Carr—parents of 12-year-old Stephen McGrath-Carr—shared incredible news with the McKinney community: “We got our van!” Living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Stephen is reliant on a wheelchair-accessible van to stay connected to his community. Overwhelming generosity from the community and charity organizations have made a dream come true for Stephen and his family.

In 2020, Stephen was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD leads to the progressive wearing away of muscles, which can lead to the loss of mobility over time. Stephen can no longer walk and uses a wheelchair for mobility. He attends Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School and values being a part of the community.

Over time, Stephen became too heavy for his parents to lift him in and out of a regular vehicle safely. To maintain his access to medical appointments and community events, they needed a wheelchair-accessible van—but insurance refused to help with the cost, leaving them on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

That’s why they turned to the national medical fundraising charity Help Hope Live. In one month, their community of support raised $12,000 towards the cost of an accessible van. With help from several charity grants from organizations Finn’s Friends, Chari-T2000, and Walking Strong, they were able to secure a van for Stephen by June 28, 2023.

“God bless each and every one of you,” said Kayleigh, Stephen’s mom. “You have helped change a young boy’s life more than you know.”

Stephen’s family will continue to fundraise with Help Hope Live for a lifetime of out-of-pocket medical and related costs. Tax-deductible donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22254/

Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.

Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $172 million to pay patient expenses. ###