School Raises $10,000 to Help Make Student with Muscular Dystrophy More Mobile

by Melissa Reurink on February 5th, 2010

JAYMIE WHITE

The Western Star

Staff and students at J.J. Curling Elementary School raised $10,000 to help purchase a new wheelchair-accessible van for a Grade 6 student with muscular dystrophy.

The student, Daniel Durnford, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is a severe form of the disease that causes the muscles to rapidly degenerate. Diagnosed at age five, Daniel has been coping with this disease for almost seven years.



Daniel’s father, Bernard Durnford, started raising money to purchase an accessible van some time ago so his son would have more mobility. The van will provide a sense of independence for Daniel because it is low to the ground in the back and has a 31-inch ramp, which will enable him to drive his power chair right aboard. He will be able to get out of the van with little to no assistance.



Durnford said his family has already picked out the van they are going to purchase and are just waiting for donations from various organizations to arrive.

He said he is very grateful for the money raised by J.J. Curling because it was hard for them to raise all the money on their own.




“It’s awesome because we would not have been able to afford the van without this donation,” said Durnford. “Daniel is very excited.”



J.J. Curling principal Brian Higdon said he learned Bernard Durnford had received some money from The President’s Choice Foundation but it still wasn’t enough.



During a discussion at a special service meeting, school officials and teachers decided they would do something to help.



“Everything sort of evolved after the meeting,” said Higdon. “We decided that we should help raise some money. We needed some sort of motivation, so I said I would shave my head if we raised enough money.”



When asked how much money it would take to shave his head, Higdon said $5,000.

Every year, the school participates in the “Hop for Muscular Dystrophy” fundraising event, and Higdon said Daniel has helped raise a lot of money for that.



“Daniel is like the poster child for muscular dystrophy at our school,” said Higdon. “He is always raising a lot of money, and now this is an opportunity for us to do something to help Daniel personally. That is why this decision was made.”



With help from the community, the school’s fundraiser was able to double the initial goal and raise $10,000 to help Daniel and his family.



“This was a whole community-school effort,” said Higdon. “It feels wonderful, and I think the students, parents and school community members feel the same way — that it was great we were able to do something that will have such a large impact on Daniel and his family’s lives.”



Tagged as: Disabled · Handicap Accessible · handicap accessible van · Mobility · mobility aids · mobility for the disabled · mobility vehicles · wheelchair accessible · wheelchair accessible van · wheelchair accessible vehicles · wheelchair vans