It wasn’t just a van. It was a van equipped with a wheelchair lift that allowed a 23-year-old woman with a traumatic brain injury to leave the confines of her home.
On Sunday, the van was stolen from a DeKalb County apartment complex. By Wednesday, it was found abandoned, said Ruth Batchelor, the woman’s mother.
“One way or another, we’re going to be back on the road soon,” Batchelor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In May 2016, Batchelor’s daughter, Jordyn Engelberg, suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken pelvis, and torn bladder in a three-vehicle crash hours before her Jefferson High School graduation. Now at 23, she is fully dependent on others for her care, her mother said. Jordyn interacts with her parents, though she’s unable to speak, eat, or walk.
The van enabled Jordyn’s parents and stepfather to take her to medical appointments and on other outings, experiences that help her thrive, Batchelor said.
“This van is what offers her the best quality of life,” Batchelor said earlier this week. “Getting her out into the real world is how we take steps at stimulating her brain.”
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
Friends set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for a replacement van for the family. And by Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had climbed to almost $30,000.
Batchelor said the family had not yet been able to see their recovered van, which was dusted for fingerprints and taken to a collision center. DeKalb police said late Wednesday that the van was found in Atlanta.
The 2000 tan Ford E250 has been dependable, and if it’s fixable the family will face a tough decision. With the donations, Batchelor said the family would likely be able to purchase a newer van. And if the van that was stolen is repairable, another family in need might be able to use it, she said.
Until then, the family must wait for the insurance company and auto repair shop to check the van.
Batchelor said her family is humbled and grateful for the support from their community and strangers. Two anonymous donors contributed $5,000 each.
“It’s like the universe gave us a big ole hug and said, ‘We got you,’” Batchelor said.
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