A Salford mum has turned to holding yard sales inside her home to help fund a critical mobility campervan for her disabled son.
40-year-old Zoe Kirkman’s living room has been transformed into an indoor yard sale filled with shelves of books, baskets of toys and rails of clothing in an attempt to raise some money towards getting a mobility adapted campervan for her disabled son, Riley.
Zoe is from Little Hulton and has spent the last year tirelessly raising money in the hopes of funding a specialised van which would allow her fifteen-year-old son, Riley, the opportunity to get outside.
The people of Salford are being offered a vast range of low-cost items, with all yard sale proceeds going towards Riley’s van.
Riley was born with a multitude of health problems including quadriplegic cerebral palsy, drug-resistant epilepsy and neuronal migration disorder. and congenital long segment tracheal stenosis, which impacts his ability to breathe.
As he gets older and bigger, leaving the house gets progressively harder for Zoe and the kids, meaning unless Riley is at school, he is almost exclusively restricted to his home.
“He is literally isolated”, Zoe says, squeezed in a make-shift living room at the back of her house.
“It’s exhausting. But more than anything, it’s heart-breaking.
“I want him to have a better life. No one deserves to be stuck in the house 24/7.”
With limited appropriate changing facilities available in Salford for Riley issues surrounding position changes and tube feeding, getting out of the house and into nature has become almost impossible.
The situation has taken a significant emotional toll on Riley, leaving him noticeably subdued and disinterested in activities that once brought him joy.
Zoe said: “I believe this is why a lot of people decline so much mentally and physically, and I want to change that.
“I want to show people that you don’t have to be isolated; there are always ways around it.”
Faced with a cost of £40,000 for a fully adapted van, Zoe’s goal has shifted to funding an appropiate van that meets Riley’s needs.
Currently, the crowd funder has raised £2,260, however this remains only a small percentage of what is needed to get Riley enjoying life outside his home again.
The van would not only have a significant positive impact on Riley’s life, but on the lives of Zoe and his siblings, who only get ten days of respite care each year.
“There have been times where I’ve sat and questioned whether or not this is something I can keep doing”, Zoe says.
“But as long as I’ve got Riley, I’ll keep going because I can’t bear the thought of anyone else doing what I do.”
Zoe’s yard sales will continue throughout November and into the New Year at her house in Little Hulton, alongside raffles and handmade, personalised items which she creates and sells on her Facebook page.
She said: “I’ve got a bit of a pipe dream, I’m hoping one day I can have multiple vans, and I can accommodate for other families. So this isn’t just about us.
“It would be nice to build a community of mum and dads that feel like they’ve got a place to talk. Bringing back that face-to-face, having in-person conversations and just restoring that community spirit.”
To donate directly to the fundraiser, click the link here.
