A Kelowna family needs help getting their daughter a new ride. Mia Kuypers was four months premature who has been diagnosed with a severe form of choreoathetoid cerebral palsy. She has hearing loss and she’s nonverbal.
Rob Gibson - Dec 4, 2023 / 7:00 pm
A Kelowna family needs help getting their daughter a new ride.
Mia Kuypers was four months premature who has been diagnosed with a severe form of choreoathetoid cerebral palsy. She has hearing loss and she’s nonverbal.
"We spent six months in the BC Children’s Hospital. Mia has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures during her lifetime. She will need support for the rest of her life for every aspect of life," says her mother Teresa Kuypers.
The family has been able to take care of Mia's transportation needs on their own but now says they need a new van to help her get around.
"We drive an SUV and currently I lift her into a car seat, and then I lift her into her wheelchair. As she gets bigger and her wheelchair gets bigger, that's not going to be possible. The quote we got for the van that she needs is $108,000, which is beyond our family's means, so we decided to do a fundraiser to at least cover the cost of the conversion, if not more," Kuypers says.
To help pay for the van conversion and other expenses, the family is having a fundraiser and silent auction Tuesday at Kelly O'Bryan's in West Kelowna.
"I don't know if inviting everybody to Kelly O'Bryan's is a good idea. But telling our story and inviting people to donate would be such a big help, " Kuypers says.
The fundraiser is called Mia's Ride and the family is hoping people who want to help will transfer funds to miasride@gmail.com. All of the money donated will go directly to the family.
If you have any questions or want to donate a silent auction item you can reach Teresa Kuypers directly.
"She has the ability to light up a room with her smile and giggles, she’s a very sweet girl," says Mia's mother.
