A local family's need ended up becoming a windfall for a non-profit organization.
The Wuerch family of Windsor fulfilled a promise they made to Assisted Living of Southwestern Ontario (ALSO), which has a frequent need for accessible transportation. 20-year-old Nathan Wuerch is in a wheelchair, having spina bifida, hydrocephalus, frail bones, incontinence and other issues. He has undergone no fewer than 18 surgeries.
Last year, the Wuerch family needed a new accessible van for Nathan, but his mother Shirley said a GoFundMe page to raise money for a van did not work out the way they had hoped.
"It didn't quite reach our goal, but we had already spoken to ALSO," said Shirley. "We had promised them that as soon as we got our new van, we would transfer it over to them."
Shirley said they realized that if they traded in the old van, it may not have gone to someone who may need it, so donation was the obvious choice.
Mel's Automotive on Tecumseh Road East in Windsor took on the challenge of sprucing up the old van, and the keys were handed over to ALSO last week. Lynn Calder, executive director of ALSO, said many of their clients rely too much on timetables to get where they need to be, and if something were to come up at the last minute, they might be stuck.
"There are people who would like to make an impromptu decision to go someplace, like all of us do without even thinking," said Calder. "Having to make a booking three weeks in advance can be a hindrance."
Calder said the van will be used to help transport clients from their homes to medical and physical therapy appointments, as well as from the hospital to their homes. Since 2011, ALSO has helped over a thousand clients with transportation, freeing up valuable bed space in the health care system.
The official ALSO website has complete information on its programs.
