For Julian Nunez and his family, one of those moments came in the form of an email—one that would change their lives forever.

Julian is eight years old, a bright light with an infectious spirit. He was born with a brain malformation, a condition his mother, Michelle, learned about before he even entered the world. From the moment he arrived, though, Julian radiated happiness.

He rarely cries, though he has perfected the art of whining when he’s asked to do something that requires extra effort, especially in physical therapy. A boy after our own hearts.

“He’s nonverbal, but he sure knows how to communicate what he likes and doesn’t like,” Michelle says with a laugh. And what he likes? Music. Anything with a beat. His absolute favorite? Maracas. The second one is placed in his hand, he’s shaking it nonstop.

But life for Julian has also been filled with challenges. He sees around 13 different specialists, with immunology and neurology being the most critical. He missed two years of school due to severe illness, where even a minor cold could send him into respiratory failure. Hospital stays became the norm.

After extensive testing, doctors discovered that Julian’s body wasn’t responding to vaccines the way it should. The solution came in life-changing antibody infusions every four weeks to help boost his immune system. Since starting the treatments, Julian’s health has improved dramatically. He still gets sick, but now, his body can fight back.

Despite these struggles, Julian loves school and thrives in his small, specialized classroom. He enjoys art, music, swimming, and being surrounded by familiar faces who understand his unique way of communicating.

But there was one other growing challenge Michelle couldn’t ignore.

Julian relies on a wheelchair for mobility, but their vehicle wasn’t equipped for safe transfers. Every outing was a challenge. Michelle would lift him in and out of his car seat, a task that became increasingly difficult as he grew.

Then came the day that changed everything—Michelle tripped while lifting Julian into the car.

“I was wearing the wrong shoes, and I just lost my footing,” she remembered. “I tried my best to hold him and protect him, but I knew something was wrong. He cried, but he calmed down pretty quickly.”

She decided to take him to the hospital, just to be cautious.

At the emergency room, doctors took X-rays but didn’t initially find a fracture. Since Julian was smiling and happy—especially after they gave him pain meds—he was discharged. But Michelle’s gut told her something wasn’t right.

“The next few days, he kept crying, and I just felt this overwhelming guilt,” she says. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had hurt him.”

It was Julian’s PCA who noticed his ankle looked swollen. A follow-up scan confirmed a fracture in his foot, an injury that had gone undetected the first time.

“I was devastated,” Michelle admits. “I felt like the worst mom in the world. But my mom came with me to the hospital, and she kept telling me, ‘Michelle, look at him. He’s happy. He’s already forgiven you. He doesn’t even remember it.’”

Still, the experience was a wake-up call. Julian was getting bigger. Lifting him wasn’t just difficult, it was becoming dangerous. Michelle knew something had to change.

And then—she got an email.

Michelle had heard of programs that could help with accessible vehicles, but the costs were overwhelming. Even programs that offered reimbursements required families to purchase the van upfront. Their family simply wasn’t able to afford that.

When she learned about Chive Charities, she poured her heart into the application, hoping for a miracle.

A week after Julian’s fall, she opened her inbox, and got her very own life-changing “You’ve got mail” moment. 

“I couldn’t believe it. I just started crying. My mom was crying. I had no words,” Michelle said. “This was something that felt completely out of reach for us. I had no idea how we were going to afford it, and then suddenly, it was happening.”

Thanks to our incredible donors, we were able to provide Julian’s family with a silver 2018 Toyota Sienna—fully ADA-accessible—for a total impact of $54,928. We even covered a year of car insurance to ease the financial burden.

With the new van, Julian can stay in his wheelchair, eliminating the dangerous and difficult transfers. It opens up a world of possibilities, allowing their family to travel safely to doctor’s appointments, therapy sessions, and even just out to enjoy life together.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of Chive Charities’ donors. Because of you, Julian can safely travel without the risk of injury. Because of you, Michelle can focus on being a mom instead of worrying about how she’ll lift her growing son in and out of a car. Because of you, Julian has the freedom to explore, to attend his appointments, to experience life without unnecessary barriers.

“To the donors, all I can say is thank you,” Michelle told us. “What you’re doing is truly life-changing. Insurance covers so much, but not the vehicle part of it—and that’s such a huge part of our lives. You’ve given us something that I never thought would be possible. And for that, I am forever grateful.”

And it all started with one email.

One email that meant safety.

One email that meant freedom.

One email that meant hope.

Right now, someone else is waiting for their moment—their life-changing “You’ve got mail” moment. With just one click, you can change a life. Become a monthly subscriber and DONATE HERE.