A broken van, a struggling family. A community — and a commissioner — step up to help

Jonathan Hunter spends all his time in a wheelchair and is dependent on his family.

But spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy doesn’t keep the 22-year-old from doing what he loves — listening to music, eating ice cream and going to the park, among other things.

Jonathan’s parents, Melody and Ed Hunter of Derby, rely on a wheelchair-accessible van to take their son everywhere. But their 1997 Dodge Caravan breaks down often.

Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell, a family friend, decided to fix that. He started a fundraiser to buy the family a more reliable van, and the community rose to the occasion — exceeding the $15,000 goal in just two weeks.

Now Howell wants to raise more, for much-needed accessibility renovations in the Hunters’ home.

“It’s just a blessing,” Melody Hunter said. “Words cannot really describe how blessed we feel about how generous the community has been.”

Howell’s GoFundMe fundraiser has been shared almost 700 times on Facebook and more than 130 people have donated to the cause so far.

“It’s amazing that people care like that,” Ed Hunter said of the community’s generosity.

Having a working wheelchair van greatly improves Jonathan’s quality of life, Melody Hunter said.

“He loves to just be out and about with people, and having the van allows us to be able to do that for him,” she said.

Jonathan can say some words. Although he primarily uses yes/no cards and other communication devices, his parents and three siblings know him well and can usually tell what he wants.

“For the most part, he’s a very happy young man,” Melody said.

“We wouldn’t change a thing about him with his abilities or disabilities.”

Jonathan’s father is struggling with kidney failure, diabetes, liver and eyesight problems and the partial amputation of his right foot in February. The health problems cost him his job, and the family now depends on his disability checks.

“Long story short, it’s been pretty difficult,” Melody Hunter said.

Ed Hunter said Jonathan has taught him a lot about living with a disability.

“It’s given me a lot of respect for somebody that’s handicapped,” he said. “And myself becoming handicapped, I’ve had to learn from him — how to be patient and how to wait.”

Howell has known Ed Hunter since fourth grade, and he said it has been heartening to see the community rally around the family.

“This is a very unique story with a very compelling need,” Howell said.

The money raised so far should be enough to buy a used wheelchair van, but Howell said the Hunters have pressing home modifications that also need to be paid for.

Widening doorways and renovating an ADA bathroom for Jonathan will cost $10,000, he said, and installing a rail system to get him in and out of the bathtub could run another $10,000.

It takes two people to lift Jonathan up and put him in the bathtub, his father said. He needs to be bathed three times a week. His parents rely heavily on their other children and family and church friends to help out often.

“We need $20,000 moving forward, and I’m hoping by the end of the year, we’ll have that money somehow,” Howell said.

He said he knows not everyone can contribute monetarily, but asked that they consider donating materials, labor or expertise to help the Hunters.

“The Hunter family is extremely giving,” Howell said. “They are generous to others, so when they are now in the situation where they need help, it’s the right thing to do to try to help them.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2019 at 7:57 PM.