Background to
the Alice Bovda Story
From:
Olehy, Karen
To:
wayne@lifenets.org
Sent: 8/23/2005 11:18:30 AM
Subject: If you can help us in any way, please contact me. Thank you.
Alice Bovda, our friend from the Ukraine, is now living in McKinney Texas with her mother. Her father is trying to come to the United States this fall. Alice, for the first time in her life, started public school this week there in McKinney. As you all know, Alice cannot walk. She has a very, very old beat-up wheelchair that the Scottish Rite Hospital gave her 2 years ago and I am trying to help find her an electric wheelchair. Donations had come in from this article and had totaled $1,500. (Thanks to everyone who donated, because that money went to such good use, food clothing medicine) The family used that money very, very wisely and it had supported them here in the US since January of 2004. That money is now depleted. Due to their status the mother is unable to work, but she has started junior college to study for a nursing degree. In the Ukraine she has a teaching degree. They are living in one-bedroom of a home of someone who has taken them in there in McKinney. As they have no income, there is no way they can afford an electric wheelchair. But with an electric chair she can have a little independence and would be able to get around school. Alice just turned 15 years old last month and is still this size.
What we need are suggestions of places that we may be able to get funding for a chair or someone who has one to donate. Many of you who I am sending this to, have lots of contacts and are affiliated with many people (with special needs and/or are on boards of organizations). Together we could make a difference on this because we all have information and contacts we could use. If you have any ideas/suggestions, please let me know. Thanks so much,
Karen Olehy
