Friendship Circle of Greater Mercer County is seeking donations to support a five-year-old boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Ray Fantel, who was diagnosed with SMA Type 1 when he was five months old is wheelchair bound. The Friendship Circle is on a mission to aid Fantel’s parents, who are in need of a vehicle that can hold their son’s wheelchair.
SMA is an incurable, terminal disease and the most frequent genetic cause of death in infants. The average life expectancy of a child with SMA is two years.
Ray uses a small power wheelchair for mobility, but there is currently not much room in the Fantels’ conversion van for them to enjoy family life.
“This is becoming a safety issue as Ray grows,” his mother Marcy said in a statement. To fit his power wheelchair into their van, they have to elevate his seat, which is a safety concern because the wheelchair has not been crash tested in an elevated position. Further, Ray’s caregivers cannot easily and quickly perform necessary medical treatments while the van is moving.
The Friendship Circle aims to help the Fantels purchase a larger van.
The total estimated cost of purchasing and converting a larger vehicle is $62,500. The Fantels plans to sell their current van for approximately $40,000, leaving $22,500 still needed for a new vehicle.
The Friendship Circle is an international non-profit organization that promotes social support, educational and vocational programming and empowerment for children and adults with health and special needs. The Mercer County chapter of the Friendship Circle was established in 2009 and is involved in the lives of close to 200 families with special needs members.
More information is online at mercerfriendshipcircle.org/forray.
