Dream One World...a nonprofit to heal the world...one by one by one.
A VAN FOR JAKE
In 2008 we worked on the refurbishment of a van for the family of a very special young man in Santa Rosa, California...
Jake Manzo.
Jake was born in 1990 with Cerebral Palsy. He was introduced to us through Dreamworker Bob Thompson by Jenny Rogina, a good friend of Jake's. Jake's mother Denise told Bob that they don't even have a car, making life very difficult. Bob promised her he would find a way to bring a van into her life with a wheelchair lift. Denise's boyfriend Robert mentioned that he had a friend, Howard, who could donate a wheelchair lift once we acquired a van.
(Jenny Rogina and her family, the day they received a refurbished van in early 2007 through work Bob had initiated almost a year before. This year Jenny asked Bob to "pay it forward" to Jake. As Bob had become a Dreamworker for DREAM ONE WORLD in 2007, and our organization has a "pay it forward" Bob theme to it, asked if we would assist him this time. We were honored to do so.)
Within a very short period of time from starting the project, a van was donated to Jake's family, thanks to the generosity of Jenny's neighbor Michael Drady, seen here, and his daughter Kelli.
The van needed quite a bit of work, and some adjustments needed to be made for the wheelchair lift. Brad Reich, his staff at RPM Motors in Rohnert Park, and a number of other local vendors agreed to assist us with these needs as donations came in.
Bob asked Jake's mother, Denise, to write a little something about her son to share with the world. Here is what she wrote:
Jake was three months premature, weighing 1 lb., 12 oz. He was on oxygen the first year of his life.
He did his schooling in Windsor, CA – in which he was in full inclusion - until high school. He now attends Montgomery High and is in the 12th grade.
He is a spastic quadriplegic, and uses both electric and manual wheelchairs.
To communicate, Jake uses both sign language and a dynamo, which is a talking board that we can record messages on for him.
He loves to make people laugh, and his smile warms your heart.
He loves to go for rides and see new things.
He loves music – John Mellencamp is his favorite.
He loves motorcycles and monster trucks, and going to the coast to fly kites and airplanes.
He’s always a happy, but shy young man.
His favorite thing about school is the bus ride.
He has a dog named Brandy and a parrot named Buster.
He also loves to talk on the phone.
He has a G-tube in his tummy, from which he gets most of his nutrition. Jake also eats, but not enough to put on weight.
Van given to Jake and his family by Michael Drady and daughter Kelli for this project...ready and waiting for lots of work and the wheelchair lift accommodation!
On July 31st, 2008, a large celebration was held at RPM Motors to surprise Jake and his family with the reburbished van, a variety of other gifts community members donated, and four complimentary tickets to the John Mellencamp concert on August 2nd at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA, donated by Another Planet Entertainment.
Many thanks to Nathan at West Coast Limosine, for a donation towards a limo ride to and from the concert for Jake, Jenny, and their guests, so they could travel in style!
Please visit "Jake's Van Day" under the "Events" page at left to see a fabulous slide show of this wonderful event!
"You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true." - Richard Bach
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