Addison Fichtel

Addison’s father, Tim worked as the Remodeling Manager for Just-In-Time Heating, Air-Conditioning, Plumbing, Carpentry & Remodeling Services in Sandwich, Illinois. Tim’s sister Janeen and her husband Justin are the owners of the company. Sandwich is a small town just southwest of the greater Chicagoland area. Addison has a brother and a sister, but unlike them, she faces a challenging future.

Addison has had many seizures, and continues to take meds to control them. Her food must be puréed as she has difficulty swallowing, and she is very dependent for all activities of daily living. Their vehicle was an older model Chrysler Town & Country, it was in need of a number of expensive repairs and had a lot of miles on it, so it was not worth converting for wheelchair accessibility. With Addison’s disability, Tim and his family were in need of more support than what they could find in Illinois, so they moved north to Hamilton, Michigan. They began applying for grants for a wheelchair accessible van, as Addison was now in her first wheelchair. Janeen knew Vicki Laplant through their mutual association in The Service Roundtable, and through that connection Tim applied for a grant from the Joseph Groh foundation.

Tim also received a grant from the Michigan Children’s Special Needs fund toward the van conversion, and with both grants was able to purchase a rear entry conversion, 2017 Chrysler Pacifica from New Mobility Solutions in Jackson. Wheelchair accessible vans are one of the top most requested grants for individuals with disabilities. Without them, mobility is extremely limited, yet they are extremely expensive. Brand-new vehicles can cost $60,000 or more, and late-model used vehicles with lower mileage are hard to find, and typically cost 30-$50,000. That is often beyond the reach of individuals who are living with life altering and costly disabilities.

Finding these grants was an even bigger blessing in disguise, as Tim’s wife was involved in an accident with their Chrysler Town & Country, which totaled it. Fortunately, no one was injured. After they picked up their new van, Tim wrote, “I wanted to tell you THANK YOU so much for all your help, and for the donation to provide a vehicle and transportation for my family with a special needs 5-year-old. This is going to be a whole new world for us, having her in a chair go everywhere we go. Addison is so excited and loves being able to ride in her chair right between her brother and sister. Our life just got so much easier… I know you can relate.”