You Can Help Dylan Parisi Get The Wheelchair He Needs

Dylan Parisi, 6, of Somerville may not be able to speak or walk but impresses everyone with his "immense personality," says his mother, Maria. 

"He’s a great little boy," she said in a phone interview. "He is living proof you don't need words to express yourself. He's taught me so much about how to be strong." 

Dylan attends the specialized P.G. Chambers School in Cedar Knolls. When he's not at school, he's roughhousing with his two dogs or playing with cars and planes. He also loves the camera. He's been a model for Toys R Us Christmas catalogue in 2011 and 2012 and the Proctor & Gamble national campaign for Special Olympics. 

If there was one thing Dylan's parents would like to give their son for Christmas it would be mobility. Dylan has outgrown his home wheelchair and needs a new customized one, as well as a "stander" -- which is a walker with full body support. (See a video of Dylan using one on Youtube.) Insurance covers some of this expense, but much of the customization has be to paid by the Parisi family. 

To help tackle this new expense his mother has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000. As of Dec. 19, the campaign has raised $3,675 towards the goal. 

Just after the campaign launched the family has a major setback. Dylan's father Jeff was involved in a serious accident that totaled the family's custom van, and now that has to be replaced too at some point. The challenges are heartbreaking, said Maria Parisi. "It’s a whole bunch of things that just add up financially and emotionally." 

If you would like to contribute to the Dylan Parisi GoFundMe campaign for a new wheelchair and walker/stander, you can visit this page.