Our story begins on December 29, 1998. Kevin Edward Funk was born at Saddleback Memorial Hospital in Laguna Hills, Ca. I had some complications at birth and so began our journey. Kevin is hypotonic, which means that he has no muscle tone. He will never walk or bear weight thru his legs. He can not sit independently without support. He can not communicate. He is tube fed. He has a chronic seizure disorder and a chronic lung disorder. He can see and hear perfectly. He does move his head and arms sometimes. He is aware of his surroundings. He loves the water and the wind. When Kevin was 3 years old we moved back to Frederick, Maryland. We bought our home and moved to Chambersburg, Pa in August, 2004. We were given Trinity Jacqueline (Ryan’s niece) at 2 months of age, June 17th, 2005. We decided to formally adopt her and that was final December 3rd, 2009. Kevin goes to the Franklin Learning Center and Trinity has started kindergarten. Kevin has several physicians. The local pediatrician is Dr. Michael Colli. He sees a few specialists at Hershey Medical Center and we go to NYU Medical Center in Manhattan to see Dr. Orrin Devinsky for his seizures. We have a wonderful nurse, Kathy Baker, who has been helping us for many years. She is employed thru Links to Care, an agency in Harrisburg. Kevin currently weighs 75 pounds. Transportation has become increasingly difficult. We currently lift him into his wheelchair, push him out to the car, than lift him into a car seat. We transport him to school. He has Physical Therapy at the local hospital 3 days a week after school. He has doctores appointments every month at Hershey Medical Center and we go to NYU Medical in Manhattan to see Kevin’s Neurologist every other month. Sometimes when Kevin has so many seizures we have to lay him down in the car, especially on our trips to New York. Kevin needs to be suctioned quite often and needs to have someone sit next to him during transportation. We currently have a 2007 Honda Odyssey that has 72,000 miles on it. We have looked into modifying that van, but have been told that because it has so many miles on it, the van can not be modified. We have talked to several people about modifying a van or buying a used van with a lift in it and they are very expensive. I am afraid that we will need transportation to Manhattan and not be able to get him there. After a 3 year persuasive argument with the local Mental Health/Mental Retardation Dept of Franklin County, Pa. they agreed to install a ceiling track lift system and renovate our bathroom so that we can take care of Kevin here in his home. They told us that they would institutionalize him if we could not take care of him. I felt that it would cost the state less if they gave me the equipment to take care of him. They finally agreed.(Please just goggle Kevin E. Funk and you will find newspaper articles written by our local newspaper, the Public Opinion) I am so grateful and relieved to know that we will be able to keep him in his home all the rest of his life. I have learned that Kevin is entitled to $20,000.00 in van modifications. I would need to again be persuasive in my argument, but I need a van to modify. Apparently companies who do this will not modify a van that has a lot of mileage on it. We have been told that Kevin will grow and may live longer than we do. He is turning into a young man. My husband can lift him, but he works 9 hours a day, 5 days a week and has an hour and a half commute each way. I work on his days off. Kathy, Kevin’s nurse, is with him at school. She and I struggle to lift him in and out of the van. It has become increasingly difficult to lift him at all. Within the next year it will become impossible for us to transport him. Kevin loves to be outside in the world. We are grateful for what we do have. We always try to see the glass half full. But we want Kevin to enjoy the world around him. Baseball games, local music, parks, people, even going to the grocery store or the mall is impossible. He is a pleasant, wonderful blessing that needs our help for all of his daily needs. I can not bear the thought of failing him. Please help us, help him. Thanks. Susan and Ryan Funk