Bridgeport Family Raising Funds for Wheelchair Van for 10-Year-Old Daughter with Cerebral Palsy

A Bridgeport family is seeking help to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van to bring their 10-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, to her therapy sessions.

Lizabeth Gonzalez is unable to speak, sit up, walk or feed herself. Her single mom Yolanda takes her to therapy daily in an older van without wheelchair accessibility. That is in addition to her being the sole caregiver for her father with Parkinson’s disease and Lizabeth’s twin Izabelle, who is on the autism spectrum.

As Lizabeth grows taller and heavier, picking up and transporting her and her bulky wheelchair could cause additional injuries that would financially and emotionally devastate the family.

“On an almost daily basis, my mom carries Lizabeth from the house, to her car seat in the van, then puts her 100 lb. wheelchair in the trunk,” said Angelica Gonzalez, Lizabeth’s sister. “My mother has gotten hurt many times in this process. Each time my mother gets hurt, it takes an even bigger toll on her.”

Yolanda sells baked goods to raise extra money and works nights at Home Depot so she is available for Lizabeth’s daytime appointments and needs. Lizabeth’s sister, Angelica, works full-time at Patriot Bank during the day and cares for her sisters at night.

The Gonzalez family is raising funds for a wheelchair-accessible van with a side entry, such as the one pictured.

The Gonzalez family is raising funds to purchase a safe, handicap-accessible van with a side wheelchair entry to simplify traveling. The van would automatically unfold the ramp and lift Lizabeth while in her wheelchair, eliminating most of the heavy lifting now required of Yolanda. The estimated cost to purchase and retrofit such a vehicle is about $54,000, according to an estimate by Ride-Away, a wheelchair accessible vehicle and adaptive equipment company.

The family donation started a GoFundMe page and has raised $4,725 to date: https://www.gofundme.com/22ak98g6.