LAKELAND, Fla. — 10-year-old Paola Vega is a princess – the spunky fifth grader is obsessed with makeup, jewelry, and the color pink.
Of course, every princess needs a throne. Paola's just happens to be a hot pink electric wheelchair.
- Paola suffers from spinal muscular atrophy type 2
- Family moved from Puerto Rico to get better medical treatment
- Want to help Paola's wish come true? Donate HERE
Paola has a rare neuromuscular disease, spinal muscular atrophy type 2, which has left her unable to walk.
The Vega family moved to Lakeland from Puerto Rico seven years ago in order to get better medical treatment for Paola.
Staying positive
Though it might be a setback for others, Paola doesn’t let her diagnosis hold her back.
“When I’m in my electric wheelchair, I can be myself," she said. "I can move around by myself. I can try to do things by myself."
Right now, she can only use the electric wheelchair to go to and from school. When the school bus grinds to a stop in front of their house, a motorized ramp helps her exit the bus with ease.
There, her parents and two little brothers eagerly await her.
Her youngest brother, one-year-old Adriel, has just been diagnosed with the same rare disease.
Their mom, Gladys, is unsure of what lies in his future.
“I don’t know if later, he’s like Paola in the wheelchair, or he can walk with difficulty,” she said.
More challenges
But loading up an electric wheelchair, let alone two, into the family van is impossible without a motorized ramp.
A regular wheelchair is unfortunately out of the question for Paola. The disease has left her with very little strength in her arms, so she is unable to push herself.
And, as one can imagine, running errands has become quite the difficult task for Gladys.
“It’s really hard, but I know I can do it. With the help of God and my family, I know,” she said.
Paola realizes that. So, instead of accompanying her mom, she stays home.
Though, really, she longs to go to one of her favorite places: Walmart. Her face lights up when she mentions it.
“It has a lot of stuff and my mom always shops there!” Paola said. “If I was there with her, instead of pushing me and my brothers, then she could only push my brothers so then she won’t have to have her hands full.”
But mothers know all – and Gladys knows her beloved Paola would like nothing more than to go on every single Walmart trip with her family.
“That makes me sad,” she sighs.
Paola's dream
This Christmas, Paola has one wish:
“My wish is at least a used car or something with a ramp inside, so I can be able to transport my electric wheelchair anywhere I go, so I can help Mommy,” she said.
Because, with a little bit of hope and faith, she knows that fairy tales do come true.
“Dream big and it’ll come true, and sometimes your dreams will come true,” she said.
The family is partnering up with local nonprofit Missions of Miracles to raise money for the wheelchair-accessible van.
They have set up a GoFundMe page (https://www.gofundme.com/paolas-dream) and are planning a series of fundraising events.
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