LAKELAND, Fla. — Being a parent is more than a full-time job for Julie Stirling.
Her son, Kamryn, is now 23 years old — 23 years Sterling's son was blessed to get.
“He has totally changed my life,” Stirling said. “I thank God a hundred times over for him.”
Kamryn was one of two twins born 13 weeks premature. He miraculously survived but has lived with the medical consequences ever since.
He’s visually impaired, suffers occasional seizures, and uses a mobility chair to get around.
“But, you know, above all that, he’s here, and he’s mine,” Stirling said.
Right now, however, Stirling — who lives in Lakeland — worries she will lose Kamryn because of the problem that sits in her driveway: a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.
Kamryn needs the specialized van to get to doctor's appointments in Tampa, which are vital to his survival.
The van cranks sometimes but not always. Even when it does, the fumes that enter the car are intoxicating.
“I’ve already had to cancel like three appointments last week — his blood work for like three different doctors I’ve had to cancel so far because of the van, and it’s like being stuck,” Stirling said Monday. “I haven’t been able to use it for about the past two weeks because it’s broken.”
Family members have tried to fix it, and Stirling has paid more than $500 on parts. However, nothing has worked, and Stirling doesn’t have the money to take the car to a mechanic.
“Financially, I can’t do it anymore. It’s hard to do that when I know he’s got an appointment that’s coming up,” she said. “I’ve cried so much. It’s almost like I’m cried out.”
As a last resort, she set up a GoFundMe page. If she can raise enough money, she would use the funds to buy a newer van for Kamryn.
“I don’t want to lose him. I can’t lose him. This is my best friend,” she said.
Now, she’s hoping for a miracle to keep her miracle child alive.
To donate to ABC Action News Gives and help buy a new van for Kamryn, visit http://abcactionnews.com/gives.
