NO LONGER able to fit her wheelchair in the family car, Hunter School of the Performing Arts student Taya Porter has taken to online crowdfunding for a solution.
"I just just want to be able to hang out with my friends on a weekend and not rely on a taxi which might never show up," Taya said.
At three years old, Taya was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and in the past year has become reliant on a wheelchair to get around.
"Taya is no longer able to walk or stand or do much of what she used to," Taya's mother Courtney Porter said.
12-year-old Taya received a new motorised wheelchair from Variety Children's Charity around six months ago because she could not longer fit in her old one. While the new chair was a necessary upgrade, it doesn't fit in the family car.
This leaves Taya, who has dreams of a career on stage, with two options when she wants to leave the house. Either take the old chair which is too small and means waiting for father, Matt, to get home from work to help her into the car, or use an unreliable taxi service.
"A few times the taxis haven't shown up or they have shown up really late. I was late for my own sister's birthday," Taya said.
"All my friends are going to Timezone and other fun places but if I were to go I would have to go in a bad chair and wait for my dad to get home."
Courtney said the family have been trying to save for a new vehicle for months. The rising cost of living and cost of renovations to accommodate Taya's new chair have made it increasingly difficult.
"I'm sure our family is not the only one in this situation and it's hard. I feel for people with a disability," Courtney said. "The NDIS do support a lot of assistive technology, unfortunately not vehicles. They pay for the cost of modification but you still need a vehicle to modify.
"They told us it has to be under five years old and with less than 100,000 kilometres. Which is a cost in itself."
Variety told the Newcastle Herald their We Learn Grant, which specifically funds access to education technology and supplies for people experiencing financial hardship, saw a 500 per cent increase in applications during 2021.
"Anecdotally, we are hearing from families with children living with a disability who are struggling to afford items beyond essentials, such as respite care," a Variety spokesperson said.
"Throughout the year Variety are supporting, children like Taya to gain mobility, to get out and about in the community, to communicate, achieve independence and increase their self-esteem. We deliver programs, kids experiences, grants and scholarships across NSW and the ACT to improve children's lives."
Last year, Variety supported 187 children in the Newcastle and Hunter region.
After overhearing a few conversation between her parents about buying a new vehicle, Taya decided to take it upon herself to crowdfund.
"We woke up one morning and she told me that she had started a GoFundMe page. It took Matt and I completely by surprise," Courtney said.
Matt said it is unlike Taya to ask for help.
"Even when the doctor said she needed to get bars put into the bathroom and an electric bed, Taya would say she didn't need it," Matt said. "So for her to do this is a big thing."
Taya has raised $5000 of her $40,000 goal so far.
