Constantine Salce, immobile since birth because of a disease that impedes his neuro-impulses, finally has a smooth, painless way to travel.
Through the help of private donations, the family of the 11-year-old boy from Hopkinton purchased a 2015 van Tuesday that will allow Constantine to easily wheel himself inside on a mechanically controlled ramp.
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Constantine, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy.
Added his mother, Luciante, “It blew us away that so many people wanted to help and made it possible for us to get this. It’s pretty amazing.”
With her husband, Dominic, suffering from chronic back pain, Luciante had the responsibility of lifting her son, who weighs 75 pounds and is still growing, in and out of the old van. She also needed to connect clumsy, heavy metallic planks onto the back to move Constantine’s wheelchair.
After learning that state funding could not fit the bill for the transportation needed, Luciante reached out to the Monitor to tell her story and has since received $20,000 through an online fundraiser and donations mailed directly to the family’s home.
The total cost of the Toyota, which has 20,000 miles on it, was $35,000.
Now, with the flip of a lever, a ramp automatically unfolds to the ground. Constantine does the rest, no heavy lifting required.
“He just drives it right in,” Luciante said.
Luciante has been searching for a dependable vehicle for years. She had bought one with an electronic lift, but that lasted only a year before the floor began to rot away.
Before Tuesday, the procedure to lift Constantine onto his seat caused him great pain, from rods that were surgically implanted into his back and from his neck when Luciante wasn’t able to support his head properly.
Their life has changed. “This is a lot easier than it was before,” said Constantine, who has three siblings.
The family’s first road trip on Wednesday was either to school or, perhaps, to get ice cream.
“We need to celebrate,” Luciante said.