A Fort Collins family in need of new wheels for their sick child is getting help thanks to California truck racer Ricky Johnson.
Alex and Tiana Smiths’ 4-year-old daughter, Quincy, uses a wheelchair because she has a rare brain disorder called lissencephaly that leaves sufferers with a lack of brain folds.
“We knew we were going to have to get a vehicle that could not only fit our entire family, but accommodate Quincy’s wheelchair and keep us from breaking our backs lifting her in and out,” the Smiths said. “Quincy is doing great physically and medically — but she is getting heavy, and at some point, it becomes dangerous to transfer her multiple times in and out of vehicles and wheelchairs.”
As the Smiths began looking for vehicles, they realized they were going to need some financial help purchasing a Mercedes Sprinter van to carry Quincy and their three other children.
The Smiths — through serendipity — found that Johnson happened to be selling that exact vehicle through a Facebook posting.
The two families worked out a deal and Johnson sold the van to the Smiths for a discounted price of about $30,000, even though it was purchased for roughly $75,000. Further, Johnson’s van was already modified in ways that made the vehicle more compatible for the Smiths’ needs, adding further savings.
The Fort Collins community rallied around the Smiths, allowing them to quickly raise more than $35,000 through a in order to pay for the vehicle, which was delivered Saturday.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
