About this time last year, we welcome Eliana and her family into the community. Now, a year later, Eliana's mom, Tiffany, reached out to share some updates! 

Tiffany wrote, "Getting the van from CHIVE has been life altering for our family! I don’t even know where to start… Eliana started Pre-K in August!! We began the power wheelchair process in December of 2022. Insurance denied the first chair we chose… denial… appeal… denial again…. Another appeal… still denied. We then tried for a different chair and it was approved! We received the power chair at the in of July - just in time for pre-K! Around this same time… I applied for a grant for a manual wheelchair from Wheelchairs 4 Kids and we received a manual chair that was for us - I would be able to get adjustments and repairs done locally and we’d have a chair that would fit in my mom or oldest daughter’s car when they would take Eliana to therapy appointments.

The ease of having Eliana roll in and out of the van every day for school is such a gift!! She hasn’t taken the power chair to school for a full day yet. We are getting her use to power… running into something or someone makes me a little hesitant.

Recently, my niece had a birthday party outside with a water slide and huge piece of property. This was the first time Eliana was in her power chair. She had zero limits in the grass (something that isn’t possible in a manual chair) and it was amazing to see! During a family kick ball game… Eliana was just zooming back and forth through the grass. She had the biggest smile on her face. I seen my daughter run for the first time… even though she was in a wheelchair… Dorsy she was running!! This day and this moment that my entire family witnessed would not have been possible without Chive’s gift!! I would not have been able to transport this 300 pound machine without a modified van.

Something that is always important to me is making sure Eliana has zero limits… that most of the things we participate in is accessible in such an inaccessible world… this gift has made that goal possible for our family!! I am so appreciative to the entire Chive team and their donors!"

Thank you Tiffany & Eliana for giving us the opportunity to support you all, and thank you to our community for giving us the support we need to get them the van of their dreams!