Pictured is Courtney Spencer and her old van which just recently broke down for good. Spencer has started a Go Fund Me to help raise the cost of buying a new one. Submitted photo

A city resident is looking for help so she can remain independent.

Courtney Spencer is a Jamestown resident with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. She uses a Permobil power wheelchair for mobility, and previously had a 2008 Toyota van that was donated to her from the Independence Foundation to help with her needs. Spencer depended on this van for everything, such as shopping, errands and medical appointments — a lot of which are in Buffalo — and general socialization. More recently the van has been breaking down, and a few weeks ago broke down completely so that it can no longer be used, leaving Spencer unable to get to many places that she needs to go.

“I am trying to get a new van because trying to get around to most places is hard because of the hours of the (CHQ Transit) bus and most of my medical appointments are in Buffalo,” Spencer said. “Trying to get to places is a pain and the van makes things easier. Public and medical transport has its limits.”

A friend of Spencer’s, Christine Muller, has been assisting Spencer in finding a new van. Muller met Spencer because of Spencer and Muller’s son, Ben, both attending Edinboro University. She said the first van literally broke in half while looking for a new one, and getting a new one is not something that is quick and easy to do.

In a Facebook post Muller outlined much of what the cost will be for Spencer to get the new van that she needs, which includes $40,000 for the van itself, another $20,000 for modifying the van with ramps and body modifications for wheelchairs and maybe $10,000 more for power ramps and power doors. Insurance for these kinds of vehicles can be another $70,000 and finding one that fits a person’s exact needs is nearly impossible, with having one be custom made costing around $75,000 or finding a used one can be from $60,000 to $80,000. Getting repairs costs even more when the van breaks down, and most of the time people do not have family members that can write out large checks and help them fund it.

So, Muller said most people end up at Go Fund Me for things like this, something that is also a tricky process because of Social Security limits. It is also difficult for them to just go and get a job, again because of Social Security limits and also because of needing to find a job that accommodates being handicapped accessible and any other needs someone in a Power Wheelchair may have. Saving money for the van is also not an option, Muller noted, due to the Social Security income limits. Public transportation can help if someone lives in the city on a bus route, and free medical transportation only applies to medical appointments.

“People in Power Wheelchairs, when they get stranded are really stranded,” Muller said. “These vehicles are really everything to them.”

Muller added that anyone who is able to get up and get dressed by themselves on a daily basis should consider donating, saying that she is “invested in this because it is the right thing to do”.

The fact that her Go Fund Me is being seen and donated to, means a lot to Spencer, said for people such as her on Social Security there is a limited income that they can have that does not count for things such as equipment and other expenses such as the need for a new vehicle. She added that she did not know how she and her family would be able to afford to purchase a new van otherwise, and that the fundraiser gives people the opportunity to help somebody less fortunate.

“I will not use the funds for anything other than what is said on the Go Fund Me for the van,” Spencer said. “I’m not one that likes to ask for help, and am very independent but I am not able to come up with the funds in any other way.”

Besides getting a new van, Spencer said she hopes this Go Fund Me and her current situation will help to bring attention to how difficult transportation can be for those with medical needs such as hers.

“It’s not as easy as just getting a job for those of us on Social Security because it limits what we can make and do,” Spencer said. “We’re really between a rock and a hard place if we don’t ask for help.”

The Go Fund Me for Spencer’s van can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/help-courtney-secure-a-new-van.