Cure SMA has launched an equipment grant program to provide Fold & Go travel power chairs to children and adults living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Recipients of the travel chairs will own the equipment outright. Less than 12 hours after launching the program on Oct. 8, Cure SMA said, “We have already received over 250 applications, and we will not be able to fulfill every request at this time. You are welcome to still apply, and we hope to be able to fulfill additional requests as funding allows.”
The program is supported by the Luke 18:1 Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Southlake, Texas, created to help families affected by SMA and to raise funds for SMA research to find a cure.
“Unlike our current equipment pool loan program, where items are returned for future use, this new grant initiative ensures that approved applicants will keep their wheelchair permanently,” Cure SMA said in announcing the project.
The Stickane family created the Luke 18:1 Foundation, named for their son Luke, who was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 2017, and for Bible verse 18:1, which encourages people to pray continually and not lose heart. In 2023, the foundation raised more than $500,000 for Cure SMA through its Links 4 Luke golf tournament and Mahjong Madness event.
Fold & Go Electric Wheelchairs, based in Austin, Texas, manufactures folding power chairs with weight capacities for children (up to 150 lbs.) and adults (up to 400 lbs.). The adult-sized MagSHOCK series features magnesium frames.
