Everett’s story has a little of both—the kind that brings joy and the kind that tests your resilience. Both, however, completely changed his life.

When Everett was just two years old, his mom, Jeanetta, noticed that he wasn’t as active or mobile as his older brother Evan had been at the same age.

She explained her fears to her doctor who told her all kids are different and Everett would develop at his own pace.

“When we went to the next appointment, I pushed Everett into the office in a stroller – he was two years old – and Evan had already been walking at that point. Everett could only crawl a bit. His doctor said, ‘C’mon buddy, get up.’ And I said, ‘I told you, he’s not walking or moving around as much.’ And that’s when we first heard about cerebral palsy.”

It was a surprise she never saw coming.

“I can’t even begin to explain what getting his diagnosis was like. It was such a dark time for me, and I think I’ve blocked a lot of it out,” Jeanetta explained. “That’s about the time the doctor set up in-home therapy for Everett, which was good. But I feel like if my concerns had been heard and addressed earlier, he might be in a better position now. If we had early intervention, he might have developed more mobility.”

It’s been a few years since then, and Everett has continued to grow and develop. He communicates his own needs and wants, loves playing Fortnite (no surprise there), and would binge-watch every Michael Myers movie out there if his mom would allow it.

But as he’s gotten older, some aspects of his CP have gotten harder, like transporting him. Maneuvering his body is way more difficult now. And he’s about to go to high school. “But I’m more scared than he is,” Jeanetta told us.

It’s pretty much been the three of them, and the last few years have been hard because she’s also experienced medical issues of her own. They have no vehicle of their own and are reliant on public bus transportation or the goodwill of close family and friends.

“We’ve had a lot of family help,” she shared. “I know sometimes they have their own things they have to do, so we try to schedule things around their time. It can be difficult. 

“But having someone to help get him in the cars (they’re typically not accessible for him), means he has to be lifted into the vehicle. It seems like everyone’s back is taking a toll,” she joked. “He’s almost just as big as me.”

Jeanetta explained that it’s tough to get Everett to the doctor’s office for appointments, let alone the park or the store. 

“I just want him to be included,” she said. “We’re moving to a new house soon, and that’s largely because of Everett and his needs. He should be able to go to the kitchen to make a snack and go in and out of the living room on his own. If he wants to be able to go out and get ice cream, I want him to have the same opportunity as anyone else.”

As for Everett, he’s most excited about the park.

“I found an inclusive park near where we’re moving, and they have a merry-go-round he can roll up onto and a swing he can put his wheelchair on,” shared Jeanetta. 

Now the only thing they needed to solve was a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. In most cases, that would be a pretty significant barrier. But when it comes to Chive Charities and our incredible donor family, we’ve gotten fairly masterful at pulling off epic surprises.

“I had looked at vans in the past, and the ones I was looking at, of course, had at least 100,00 miles on them,” Jeanetta said. “But I was just trying to get something I could afford. I knew we needed it but didn’t want to buy something that constantly needed repairs or maintenance.

“We heard of Chive Charities and applied just to see what would happen,” Jeanetta told us. “And what do you know, it changed our lives.”

Surprise! 

With your support, Chive Charities purchased a 2019 Toyota Sienna with wheelchair accessibility for this amazing family for a total impact of $54,833. Special shoutout to our friends and partners at AMS Vans for helping them find the perfect fit.

“Despite his physical limitations, Everett has an incredible spirit and an unyielding determination to make the most out of every day,” said Jeanetta. “However, his mobility limitations make it incredibly challenging for him to participate in many of the activities that other children his age take for granted. His inability to travel easily is isolating, not only for him but for our entire family. 

“Having his own way of getting around will allow Everett the freedom and independence he so desperately deserves, as well as provide us the opportunity to take him on family outings and to appointments without the struggles of trying to transport him.”

Needless to say, this van is a good kind of surprise.

As we were wrapping up their call, we asked both Jeanetta and Everett if there was anything else they would want to add to their story that we hadn’t already covered.

Jeanetta said she wants people to know that if you feel something or have a concern as a parent, make sure you speak up and stay on your doctors about it. You have to be the advocate. 

And Everett? He had a very important question:

Thanks to donors like you, his first outing in his new van has endless possibilities. Maybe it’ll be a trip to the adaptive playground. Maybe he’ll drag his mom and brother to the latest Halloween movie at the theaters. Or maybe he’ll get to indulge in all the crab legs and lobster he can muster.

What he picks might surprise us, but his ability to continue to adapt and overcome will not. It’s one of the things that binds him to the more than 600 Chive Charities recipients we’ve supported with life-changing grants since 2012. They’re met with unimaginable challenges, tragedies, and harrowing experiences, and yet they continue to push forward and hope for a brighter future. Each time, they were met with the support of a community of strangers who did whatever it took to lift them up. That’s no surprise to us. 

Whether you’ve been there since the beginning or planning to donate for the first time today, we’re grateful for you and your support. Let’s see what else we can do. DONATE HERE.