Royse City, TX (July 23, 2025) – Alex is an enthusiastic, imaginative, and friendly nine-year-old boy, who lives in Royse City with his parents Carl and Amanda. Like any other child his age, Alex loves Legos and Minecraft, where he can create worlds limited only to his imagination. But Alex also has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which weakens his muscles, making him unable to walk and causing his real-life physical body to be confined to a wheelchair.
As Alex began to grow up, Amanda found it difficult and eventually impossible to lift him and his powerful wheelchair, limiting their adventures and outings to those times that Carl or other adults could assist. Alex missed doing all those things that other children do – trips to the park or a quick outing “going inside” his favorite fast-food restaurant, Chick-Fil-A.
Hoping to open doors for Alex, late in 2024, Amanda registered the family for the Jett Foundation, an organization providing support and assistance to families of Duchenne patients. Their Jett Giving Fund receives applications from families all over the United States seeking fundraising for necessary and vital medical equipment, in their case, an accessible van that would easily transport Alex and his larger wheelchair.
Finding out they were accepted was the first momentous step! Next, they needed to raise at least $35,000 within a year before the foundation would cover the remaining cost of the van. They set about planning garage sales, Panda Express and Pampered Chef fundraisers, and social media campaigns all to provide this life-changing automobile for their son.
What they did not know was an amazing announcement was soon to come!
Early in June, the family learned that another wonderful organization, Cure Dale’s Duchenne, had paid the remaining balance for all those participating in the Jett Giving Fund! This meant that Alex’s family would receive the fully customized accessible van – without worry or further delay! Considering whether they should wait and surprise Alex, Carl and Amanda knew they could not keep this big a secret.
The smile on Alex’s face and the excitement in his voice told just how important this moment was.
Just a few short weeks later, as Alex zoomed along the sidewalk outside their house, the moment they had anticipated arrived as a brand-new white van pulled into the driveway.
Alex has been on the go ever since!
This past Saturday, July 19, Alex and his family held a van reveal to thank all those individuals and organizations who supported them along the way. Family, friends, members of Trinity Baptist Church, and Alex’s teachers celebrated as Alex, with cupcake in hand, excitedly showed off how he could load in and out of the van with ease.
For Alex, the van is more than a vehicle, it opens doors wide for Alex and his family – doors that were only cracked before. It is his key to adventure down the road. His ticket to a bigger and better world where he can pursue his interests and dreams that seemed limited not that long ago.
Blue Ribbon News Staff Report. Photos courtesy of Amanda Anderson.
Unlocking New Adventures: Handicap-accessible van opens doors for Royse City nine-year-old added by Melanie M on
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