WEYBURN – A gofundme page has been set up for Isaiah Evans and his family of Weyburn, to help them buy a custom medical van to enable transportation for the boy.
The son of Janelle and Ken Evans, he has an older brother Liam and a younger sister Grace, and they live on a farm just outside of Weyburn.
Isaiah attends Legacy Park Elementary School, with the assistance of his educational aide, Shannon Seitz, and his nurse, Jan Cibart.
His mom, Janelle, explained the medical conditions that Isaiah lives with, and the challenges they have created for him and his family.
“Isaiah was born with multiple dislocations and severely clubbed feet. Currently, he can’t even wear shoes, let alone place weight on his feet. His knees are dislocated and so is his right hip. He also has severe scoliosis. Isaiah will never be able to walk. He has undergone many surgeries on his legs and spine to aid him as he develops, and his wheelchair is his permanent source of transport.
“Isaiah also has an abnormal airway so he has had a trach since two months of age. At night when he is sleeping he needs a special machine to give him more support so he doesn’t stop breathing. He is also on oxygen 24 hours a day. His list of equipment is long and it needs to be taken with him everywhere he goes,” she said.
To transport him, Isaiah travels laying across the bench seat in the family van, because his wheelchair will not fit in a standard vehicle. Instead, his family has to lay him down to accommodate his complex medical needs.
“It is incredibly frustrating for him and a physical challenge for his adults as he needs to be lifted in and out of their vehicle,” said the family’s post on the gofundme page.
The Evans family has found out that Ford Canada has a medical transit version of their family model van, in which Isaiah could travel safely with room to accommodate his medical equipment and wheelchair.
Isaiah requires frequent trips to Saskatoon to meet with his medical team and this van would make that a much easier and more comfortable travelling experience. This would allow Isaiah to attend events in the community and travel with his family.
The gofundme page is hoping to raise $100,000 towards the cost of this medical van. As of Monday afternoon, the page had raised $18,025 from 104 donations.
The family and friends of the Evans are planning a number of fundraiser events in the coming weeks, to assist with the costs of buying this van.
Janelle noted there would be an immense benefit for Isaiah to have such transportation, far beyond just taking him to medical appointments.
“Though the list of Isaiah’s physical abnormalities is overwhelming to say the least, his mind is brilliant. He is like any other seven-year-old boy who wants to wander the toy aisle at Walmart, go for sleepovers at his grandparents’, attend any event his big brother is in, and go on adventures. His love for life is contagious,” she said.
To donate on the fundraiser page, click onto https://www.gofundme.com/f/aht3cv-isaiahs-journey
