A Saskatchewan family wants to make their dad’s life easier with a wheelchair-lift van.
The Shabatoski family includes five kids, two sets of twins. Three of the five children, one child from each set of twins, have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – a rare disease causing weakness in the muscles over time.
“It affects their ability to walk, any muscles within their body and ultimately breath,” Jackie Shabatoski, the mother of five, said.
“So it’s quite a serious disease, but we’re doing the best we can.”
Father Dean Shabatoski is the only one able to lift his sons, who are in wheelchairs, in and out of their vehicle. He often has to leave his drywall business to attend to his kids.
“It’s hard to ask people for help…it’s hard to admit that you need assistance,” Jackie said.
The Shabatoski’s are raising money for a van with a wheelchair lift that can accommodate the large family and three wheelchairs.
The Clavet, Sask. family said it’s a challenge to travel for appointments.
“It’s a big job to get us to even Saskatoon to go to appointments and stuff,” Braiden Shabatoski, one of the twin boy’s living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, told CTV News.
A GoFundMe page titled, ‘Help this family get on the road!’ has a goal of $75,000. The money will go towards buying a vehicle, about double the size of a minivan, with a lift in the back to get wheelchairs inside.
