Think of the logistics of going anywhere—doctor appointments, the grocery store, a friend’s house—with three family members in wheelchairs and a 2007 SUV.
The vehicle can’t hold three 350-pound powerchairs. A simple open trailer could be used to carry one, but that’s risky if it rains. A couple of manual wheelchairs could be crammed inside, requiring the help of both parents, but the vehicle could not accommodate all five family members and the chairs.
These and other concerns about the Cruz brothers, immobilized by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, kept Jennifer Patten up at night.
“That was really heavy on my heart,” said Patten, a former preschool special education teacher and longtime member of Jefferson, Georgia-based Jackson EMC. “The dad had to lift each son up and put them in the car. He didn’t have a choice. Or just not go anywhere. They had not been anywhere together in years. People like that really need help, but they don’t know what to do.”
Patten vowed that once she retired last year, she would look into getting the Cruz family an accessible van, which can cost $70,000 to $80,000 or more.
“It was really a long shot,” she said. “But all I can do is try.”
She managed to secure funding resources within a six-month deadline to allow the family to compete for an accessible van at half the cost from the Jett Foundation, an organization dedicated to families with DMD. A $5,000 grant from the Jackson EMC Foundation helped put them over the top.
“I couldn’t have got it done without Jackson EMC telling me they were going to give that money,” said Patten, who learned of the foundation grants from the co-op’s magazine. “It really made a difference.”
The 2023 Ford Transit arrived June 20 amid confetti and smiles.
“At Jackson EMC, our commitment to community service is woven into everything we do. We take our stewardship of members’ contributions through Operation Round Up seriously,” said Chip Jakins, Jackson EMC president and CEO.
“Supporting the Cruz family in securing an accessible van is a powerful reminder of how we can help transform lives. It’s not just about providing funds; it’s about enabling families to stay connected and live fuller lives. We’re honored to be part of this journey and grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.”
Now, the van can accommodate the whole family. All three brothers can roll their motorized chairs into the back of van and be securely latched by their dad.
“It is helping lot,” said Martin Cruz. “I want to thank everyone who made this possible.”
Patten met the Cruz family in 2010 when she taught their two youngest sons and recalls how the brothers were walking and playful in her class. But by the end of elementary school, they began having trouble climbing the school bus steps.
The oldest brother had been diagnosed with DMD not long after his youngest sibling was born. The incurable disease begins in childhood from a genetic disorder and progressively weakens and disables muscles, including the heart and lungs.
By 2017, all three brothers needed wheelchairs.
Victor, 23, Christian, 18, and Alan, 16, who also has autism, require 24-hour care and regular visits with cardiologists and other specialists in Atlanta—a two-hour drive roundtrip from their Gainesville home—in addition to appointments with local medical providers.
Their parents, Martin, a manager at a cold storage warehouse company, and Mireya, are their primary caregivers. Martin recalled how the family had to decide who stayed home for even a simple errand. Now, a family trip to South Carolina is on the agenda.
“Now everybody can take his chair. We can go to the store and all that, go to the mall, in the van,” said Cruz. “Now I can bring everybody. Now we can travel safe inside a van.”
Cathy Cash is a staff writer for NRECA.