Jett Foundation Helps Tampa Family with Accessible Van

MobilityWorks was proud to be a part of the recent work done by the The Jett Foundation to help out a Tampa military family in need.

Austin Wilcher, a 12-year-old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, needs to use a power wheelchair or scooter for his mobility. In order to get Austin around from place to place, his father John, an active duty member of the military and single father,  needed to buy a van that he could ride the scooter up and inside the vehicle with the use of a wheelchair ramp. Fortunately, MobilityWorks of Tampa had the right van that met all of their travel needs. Forrest Bateman, the MobilityWorks Certified Mobility Consultant, then worked with Joe and Austin to make sure all of the equipment would be a perfect fit to keep Austin mobile and safe.

The family raised half of the funds needed to purchase an accessible van through donations on their First Giving Page. The Jett Giving Fund then matched the remaining 50 percent of the cost of the vehicle.

“This van will help me transport Austin safely and efficiently, and allow him more independence,” said Joe Wilcher. “Raising a son with Duchenne as a single Dad is difficult, and expensive.”

Congratulations Austin… and thank you Joe for your service in our military!

Fox 13 Tampa Captures the Moment

The Fox 13 News team came to MobilityWorks and reported on the Wilcher van donation in their 5/9/2017 newscast. Click on the You Tube video arrow below to view the news segment.

About Jett Foundation

Through the Jett Giving Fund, Jett Foundation partners with families affected by Duchenne to help ease the financial burden of medical and transportation equipment.

Since 2001, Jett Foundation, located in Kingston, MA, has worked to find treatments and a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy while improving the lives of those affected by Duchenne. Jett Foundation is a registered charity with 501(c)(3) status from the IRS; all donations are tax deductible.