Jacob and Jordan Vanderstel

Family and friends of Jacob and Jordan Vanderstel are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Illness. Jordan & Jacob, ages 34 and 30, are two brothers who were born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is a severe, inherited disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and degeneration over time. It is one of the most severe forms of inherited muscular dystrophies.Both boys enjoy watching sports on TV, especially football and they also love to play their Xbox ones where their love for sports continues! They also love spending time outside, especially when it’s warm and cuddling with their two puppy pals is something they can’t get enough of! Over the years the boys have both dramatically gone through many different struggles and health issues as their bodies continue to progress and weaken.The boys were in power wheelchairs before their teen years. After this, they soon lost the ability to feed themselves and after having a back surgery to correct their scoliosis with Harrington rods in place, they too were unable to lean forward and control their backs or movements. They continued to progress and eventually both boys needed a tracheostomy and a permanent ventilator to help them breathe as they could no longer breathe on their own. As they continue to get older and the disease continues to progress, their muscles continue to weaken, and their organs work harder and slow down. We are fundraising for Jordan & Jacob to help with the cost of converting a newer van to make it handicapped accessible. They have reached a point where they have outgrown their current van and because of its age, 14 years old, it has become very bumpy for them to ride in it and more unreliable as well due to frequent repairs. The cost of the conversion needed is $40,000. Being able to achieve our fundraising goal, would greatly improve the lives of Jordan & Jacob because their current van is not able to give them the proper support and safety anymore that a newer one can. With their disease progression, their bodies can’t handle the bumps as well anymore. Their bodies are weaker and have much less control than they used to. The newer van with the updated conversion has more interior space which helps make it easier for the boys to maneuver their chairs into place, especially when they already have decreased hand function to steer their chairs. The suspension and shocks and overall smoothness of the ride is a night and day difference from what they currently have. This will greatly help the boys not experience the bumpiness they used to have and will help them not to experience any anxiety anymore when going anywhere. They will be a lot happier and stress free knowing that their bodies won’t have to go through anymore bumps that cause discomfort. They can go places feeling comfortable and safe.Please Donate to Help Hope Live in Jordan & Jacob’s honor today, to help them be mobile in comfort and ask your friends and family to give too! If anyone is interested in planning and/or organizing a fundraiser for them, please reach out to either their sister, Caitlin Vanderstel, on facebook messenger or email [email protected], or by emailing their mom, Jodi Tanis at [email protected]. Thank you all so much for your generous support! Jacob and Jordan have chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.Thank you for your support!