Jake Pfister has a new set of wheels and a new found freedom.
“I like using the horn, which is this button,” he said.
Pfister, 9, was born prematurely and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
It’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to walk on his own.
After our story aired last month, the family says dozens of people stepped forward with donations on a GoFundMe Page..
The goal was $10,000 they needed for a electric wheelchair and a trailer.
“That Saturday, when you guys ran that story, my phone was just going ding, ding, ding. I thought what is happening? We were shocked,” said Jake’s mother, Denise.
The biggest donation came from Hyundai Giant President Scott Fink.
That put the Pfister’s over the top and got Jake his chair.
Fink got to meet Jake Friday morning at Hyundai of New Port Richey.
Fink: “How are you? Nice to see you. How’s your new chair?”
Jake: “Good.”
“People that we never met donating $250. It was crazy,” said Denise.
Jake followed all the donations on-line and enjoyed reading all the words of encouragement.
Now he’s got his hands on the joystick and is grabbing a hold of a world of independence.
“I know every speed,” he said proudly.
“He’s adjusting very well. He’s very good at driving the chair. His brother hops on the back. They going flying down the sidewalk to the park. And they have been having a really good time with it,” said Denise.
The next challenge for Jake is learning to maneuver his new wheelchair in the busy hallways of his elementary school.
But the way it looks. Nothing is going to get in his way.
