SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Almost six months have passed since Sacramento resident John Kerr last saw his wheelchair-accessible van parked just a block from his home.
It was presumed stolen - and the Sacramento Police Department found the van a couple of months later but it was a 'total loss.' Kerr said the van itself was worth a few thousand dollars with the powerlift installation being the costliest part of the vehicle.
"I was devastated. My van is my life blood. It's how I get everywhere ― medical appointments (and) shopping," he told ABC10 back in April. "A new wheelchair accessible van is about $75,000. Society doesn't make it easy for people with disabilities to have ultimate freedoms to live a full life."
This week, he told ABC10 he joined a Facebook group where members sold accessible vans, and he soon became a customer.
"I had to wait a while to find something that would be perfect for us and work for me," Kerr said. "It was frustrating at times, but also, I'm a very patient person."
The consequences of being so long without a vehicle included having to forgo hosting an annual summer retreat for young adults with muscular dystrophy.
Kerr said he's excited to run the retreat for summer 2023.
"It's unfortunate that accessible vans are priced so highly. (It's) very hard for people with disabilities to get a vehicle in the first place," he said. "So having that GoFundMe helped us get to where we had to be, to get me back on the road. And it was just such a such a real nice blessing."
