Single Dad with Muscular Dystrophy Vying for Mobility Van in National Contest

WHEATON, IL - A single father from Wheaton who suffers from muscular dystrophy could really use a mobility van -- and your vote in a national contest might just help him reach that goal.

Gregory McGuire, who grew up in Glen Ellyn but currently lives in Wheaton, found out when he was 8 years old that he had Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic, degenerative diseases primarily affecting voluntary muscles, according to the MDA website. The progression of the disease is slower than other forms of muscular dystrophy and life expectancy is mid- to late-adulthood for those with the disease.

McGuire, who is now 33 years old, can no longer walk long distances or get his wheelchair into a vehicle on his own, which has prevented him from taking his 6-year-old twin sons along on outings without another adult there to assist him. He can still get around with a cane and can drive a vehicle.

“When I leave the house, I am with someone who will push my wheelchair,” McGuire said. “Trying to take my kids to the zoo or park or anything like that becomes pretty difficult because I would need someone there to go with me.”

And since McGuire is divorced, he has to work with other people’s schedules to set up times to go out with his children. But, a mobility van could change all that.

McGuire is taking part in the the Local Hero contestsponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding mobility options for people with disabilities.People can vote once a day through May 31 for McGuire and other contestants in the national contest. The prize for the winner is a mobility van, which can cost anywhere between $55,000 and $70,000, McGuire said.

He said with the mobility van he would be able to bring his scooter into the van and then get into the driver's seat of the van and drive.

“The van would basically give me the chance to spend more quality time alone with my kids. And would allow me to see them much more,” McGuire said.

Growing Up With Muscular Dystrophy

McGuire, who grew up attending Glen Ellyn schools, was an active child. When he was 8 years old, his mother, a nurse, noticed that something “wasn’t quite right.”

“I had an older brother and she happened to notice that something was a bit different. I was a little behind the other kids,” he said.

After several tests, the family received McGuire’s diagnosis.

“It is hard as a child to hear things like, ‘you won’t walk through high school,’ or ‘you’ll be wheelchair bound by adulthood,’” McGuire wrote on the profile page for the National Mobility Awareness Month contest.

McGuire went on to walk the stage at his graduation from Butler University and was able to walk at his wedding. His twins, Cameron and Owen, were born in 2009.

McGuire gives a lot of credit to his family for their support over the years, but also is extremely grateful for the inspiration he has drawn from others with his disease. He went to a Muscular Dystrophy Association camp growing up and still keeps in touch with the friends he made over the years -- though several, he said, have since died. He also follows Facebook pages geared toward those with muscular dystrophy.

“(Others with muscular dystrophy) have been able to give me tips on how to deal with a particular situation. It’s more common to have a more severe form (of muscular dystrophy) than I do, so many of them have exerienced something I am currently going through -- but it just may have happened to them at a younger age,” McGuire said. “A lot more of what I get from (others with MD) is seeing them lead by example. Having kids. Becoming lawyers, doctors.”

This has helped him realize that though he has muscular dystrophy, he can still lead a normal life. And that, has been huge for McGuire. He thinks winning a mobility van would be a great way to share a positive story with his MDA community -- and inspire them to continue to strive for a better quality of life.

“Transportation is the key to freedom. That freedom would allow me to continue to inspire those in my MDA family and try to be a real asset to the MDA community," McGuire wrote on his Local Heroes profile page. “As a disabled single Dad, most importantly that freedom would give me the chance to be with my kids more, chance to experience more with them and chance to be the best Dad I can."

He also acknowledges that at some point, he won't be able to walk. And the van will be necessary then as well since he will only be able to use a wheelchair and will need someone else to drive him around.

"As you get older, the muscles just get weaker and weaker," McGuire said. "The disease will progress."

You can vote here for McGuire