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Handicap van for Tracy

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Roll with Me - The 'Other' Tracy Morgan Story
#RollWithMe


Introductions: Who is Tracy Vonshell Morgan? - My name is Laurie, and it is my privilege to introduce you to Tracy Vonshell Morgan, an exceptional twenty-nine year-young man living in Louisville, KY. Tracy, who goes by the name "Vonshell," was born with Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscles and a person’s ability to control them. While every case of Cerebral Palsy presents differently, Vonshell experiences muscles that contract too much, too little, or all at the same time. His limbs can be stiff and forced into painful, awkward positions, while fluctuating muscle contractions can make his limbs tremble, shake, or writhe. Vonshell is unable to walk and needs around-the-clock care. What’s remarkable about him is his positive attitude. After meeting on Twitter, Vonshell generously agreed to share his story with me, and now I’m sharing it with you, because Vonshell needs our help.


In 2003, Vonshell's life changed dramatically. Since birth, there hasn’t been a year that’s passed where he didn’t have a surgery on either his back, hips, or eyes. His hips frequently become misaligned, and doctors recommended a surgical procedure on his hips that would require a long, intense recovery. The goal was to provide Vonshell some relief from the constant pain his hips. The anticipation was that after the surgery, Vonshell’s recovery would require several months in a lower body cast, but his hip issue would be remedied. Unfortunately, after the surgery, he felt something was wrong. When it was time to remove the cast, the doctor discovered his legs were crossed, and when the doctor tried to pull them apart, he couldn’t, and the attempt left Vonshell in horrific pain.


This set off a chain of events that caused Vonshell a tremendous setback. Instead of being able to return to school, one of the few things in his life that gave him access to peers and daily human contact, Vonshell had to be homeschooled. He was just thirteen years old, and physically unable to uncross his legs since the surgery. The pain was unbearable for him, something he has described to me as being stabbed over and over with knives. He lived like this for four years, and in that time, he became isolated, unable to leave his home.


Still, he tried to remain positive, looking ahead to a possible surgery to correct the debilitating results of the first. In his own words, he describes the period of time between surgeries:

"I lost everything. Everything that people do every day I could no longer do. Since I couldn’t go to school, I had no way to make friends. Even if I wanted to do something on my own, like going to a movie or just enjoying some time at the park, it was no longer possible. From the age of 13 until I was 17, I had no friends, and absolutely no life. I watched in agony as other kids went out on dates, hung out after school, and made plans for their future. I couldn’t go on a date, or attend a sleepover, or even enjoy one of my favorite hobbies, going to the movies. Once in a lifetime moments, like Senior Prom, were passing me by and there wasn’t anything I could do to change it. I fell years behind socially, and had to re-evaluate my plans for the future, which had become finding a reason to keep going. I did gain one thing from this situation, and that is knowledge. I had all the time in the world, and I used it to sharpen my thinking and observation skills. I couldn’t really interact with people in a meaningful way, so instead, I observed. But that’s not really living." Tracy Vonshell Morgan


Soon after, Vonshell had yet another surgery, this one to remove his left hip bone in an attempt to uncross his legs. It was successful, but just a few months later, he began experiencing pain in his right hip, the same pain he felt before the doctors surgically uncrossed his legs. Faced with the loss of his right hip, Vonshell decides not to have it removed, because doing so would eliminate any mobility he had left. He spent three more long years this way. Finally, a doctor was located who was willing to perform hip replacement surgery, but years of immobility took its toll, and Vonshell lost so much muscle mass and strength that he was left unable to sit up, and became bedridden.


Why does Vonshell need your help? - Tracy Vonshell Morgan is a young man with his whole life ahead of him, but no ability to live it. He spends the majority of his life in a hospital bed in his grandparent’s home, unable to afford home health care workers. He desperately needs daily physical therapy, a safe mode of transportation, updated equipment, and emotional support. With these things,Vonshell can fulfill his dream of going to college and joining the workforce, which will go a long way toward his ultimate goal of being self-sufficient.

How will my donation make a difference? - Every dollar donated to this campaign goes directly to Vonshell to help improve his life. He has four main goals: daily physical therapy, a pre-owned wheelchair accessible van, and updated equipment. With these three things secured, he can work toward his fourth goal, a college education.

Want to know more? Keep reading! I promise you will be as inspired by his story as I am.

About Me -  My name is Tracy "Vonshell" Morgan, but I hope you call me Vonshell.  To keep my mind sharp and my spirits up, I enjoy creating YouTube videos from my bed, where I spend most of my time. If you haven't checked out my youtube channel, you should! Its filled with comedy, gaming walk-thru's, and sometimes, moments where I share my struggles, fears, and dreams about living with Cerebral Palsy. Through YouTube I found a purpose, a way for me to connect with people that I can't do because of the limitations that come along with my disability. It also gives me hope, because without that, I’m just going through the motions of life.  Please check it out: YouTube.com/VonshellMorgan. 

My Future - When I think about my future it is really hard not to get caught up in my past. Five years ago, when I had a chance to choose a new wheelchair, I turned down the one that was completely automated, because it made my disabilities too real. I know that can be hard to understand, but I chose the manual one feeling like somehow it would make me less handicapped. Also since my grandparents do not have a handicapped accessible van, I thought a simple, manual wheelchair would be easier for them to fold up, enabling me to get out of the house from time to time.  It turns out that choice set me way back, because I lacked the strength and coordination to even push myself forward. Soon I’ll have the chance to get a new wheelchair, and  I won’t make that mistake again. I’ve learned that sometimes, we all need a little help. 

My Plan - With the money raised through this GoFundMe, I have outlined the items that would improve my quality of life and help me gain independence. I’ll briefly explain each one so you understand my goals, and how they all link together.  My first priority is physical therapy. I need physical therapy to help me gain strength so I can be upright for longer periods of time. Insurance covers some therapy, but not nearly enough for any significant improvement. But even with a wheelchair, I need a way to get to therapy, and for that I need a van with a ramp that will accommodate the new wheelchair. To support myself financially, I will need a job, but like the physical therapy, I need a van to accommodate my wheelchair so I can get to a job. That’s where my YouTube videos come in! I have over 1,700 subscribers, but need to improve the quality of my videos for it to become a reliable source of income.  Even if the income is minimal, it will be reliable. To do that, I need a new laptop (my current one is over ten years old), and a video capture card. Financial stability is one of my constant worries.  Besides making YouTube videos, there’s not much else I can do from my hospital bed, which is in my grandparent’s house. The bed allows me to sit up, something I couldn’t do before I got it.  It even has a pulley so I can do pull-ups and sit-ups. Those exercises are helping to strengthen my back, neck, and arms.  Through the generosity of donors, I will be able to improve my life and establish some independence.  

More about Me - If you’ve read this far, please keep going! I mentioned my hospital bed and my grandparents, so you might have figured out I live with them. Every day, I worry about what will happen to me when something happens to them.  Being able to support myself and pay for the things that I need would take a huge burden from them, and relieve some of the anxiety I feel about the future. I realize that relying on income from YouTube videos is not a long term plan, but until I can get a job, my options for income are extremely limited.  So for now, if I can get my YouTube off the ground, I accomplish two things: I greatly reduce the burden that is on my grandparents, and I have the beginning of a way to support myself.  How Can You Help? Helping someone with a severe disability is easier than you think, and not only will you make a direct impact on my quality of life, you will give me something even more valuable - hope. Hope for the chance at a real life. I gave up my dream of going to college, but I would love the chance to work toward a degree. Not only do I love to learn, but to be able to talk with people, share ideas, debate current events…that would be a dream come true. A donation of any amount will help me reach my goals, which is to make the most of the life I’ve been given and keep moving forward toward independence. I wish I could do this on my own, because it is really a tough thing to ask for help, but here I am doing just that.  If you choose to donate, please know that every dollar goes toward improving my situation and helping me become independent. Whether its the change in your pocket at the end of the day or a few dollars, it all helps me, and I’m grateful to you. Every dollar I raise has a big impact on my life, and I thank you for that.  If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing my story on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform.  I’d really appreciate that.  I want to thank you for taking the time to read about my life. I’m no longer angry or bitter. I’m actually looking forward to the future because I know I have a lot to offer. I just need a little help getting there. 




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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $15 
    • 8 mos
  • ian harmon
    • $25 
    • 8 mos
  • Katrice Miller
    • $5 
    • 10 mos
  • ian harmon
    • $10 
    • 11 mos
  • Kameo Offutt
    • $20 
    • 11 mos
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Organizer and beneficiary

Vonshell Morgan
Organizer
Louisville, KY
Samuel Mayfield
Beneficiary

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