My name is Joe Flanders and I am in need of help. I am a 25-year-old who finished college in January of 2004. I was diagnosed with MD when I was about 6 years old; Although four years ago I experienced congestive heart failure, I am now on medication that has kept that under control. I am now trying to plan my future but have run into a problem I cant solve alone.
I live with my mother and younger brother. Its been a struggle for us for the last 12-15 years, especially for my mother who is a single parent trying to support 3 people. Throughout these years my mother was not able to take a job. She was my only caretaker and coverage for an aide was not available. In January of 2002 I final got coverage and we are just starting to get back on track.
Now that I am finished with school, I am hoping to get a job. Currently I am still recieving assistance with finding a job from VESID. VESID is a government funded program. VESID has payed for my books, note takers, and transportation to and from school.
Transportation has always been an obstecle for me. It has been about 5 years since I had a somewhat dependable van, so I have basically stayed at home other than my trips to school. These have been four long years. It gets rough for me at times, seeing my family going places and having to stay home because I dont have a vehicle.
If I need to go to the doctors for any reason at all I must give a two-week notice to reserve a van to get there. Keep in mind these are scheduled appointments, if I am sick for any reason I still have to wait two weeks to see a doctor. This really frustrates me; its almost as frustrating as my sense of isolation because its hard to connect with anyone socially. Its difficult to make new friends without leaving my apartment. The friends that I do have, have tried every way they could think of to get me to go out but there is no feasible way to do this without transportation.
The most pressing problem I will face due to the lack of transportation, My livelihood will depend on (access to) reliable transportation.
Due to my familys financial situation we are unable to purchase a van. . My family and I approached MDA for help with this matter but we were told that all their funds are used for research. At one of my VESID appointments I learned that if I could obtain a van that the program would pay for modifications At the present time, I am trying to find ways to get a van funded, so I can get out and live a more normal life. 
