Donations pour in to help Staunton family purchase wheelchair-accessible van for daughter

Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
·4 min read
A fundraiser recently helped the Burrows family raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van. Standing with the van are Daniel Burrows, Cordelia Burrows and Miriam Burrows. Clark Burrows is on top of the van.
A fundraiser recently helped the Burrows family raise money for a wheelchair-accessible van. Standing with the van are Daniel Burrows, Cordelia Burrows and Miriam Burrows. Clark Burrows is on top of the van.

STAUNTON — For far too many years now, Daniel Burrows has been doing his best to fit his daughter, Cordelia, and her long legs into a baby’s car seat to get her to therapy and the hospital and to school. Cordelia is almost 9.

Cordelia is the second child of Miriam and Daniel Burrows, born in March, 2015. It wasn't long until Miriam and Daniel realized that their daughter wasn't keeping up with her developmental milestones. Therapists and doctors and many, many tests followed. Then the seizures began.

When Cordelia was 2, she was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes regressions in development, obstacles to motor planning, and seizures. She was 21 pounds on her second birthday and, two years later, still 21 pounds.

Cordelia has never talked. About 5 years ago on Facebook, Miriam posted, "I dream about her voice that I've never heard." Five years later she still hasn't heard that voice.

She's also fed exclusively through a gastrostomy tube. After the surgery to put in the gtube, Cordelia gained 10 pounds but by November, 2019, her meds weren't keeping up with her weight and more seizures followed. On Thanksgiving Day that year the little girl had 20 seizures and the family spent the night in the hospital.

Now, Cordelia is 44 pounds and will turn 9 in two weeks. The seizures are, according to Miriam, "tricky."

"We are still trying to control them," she said. "In general, she’s way more stable than she has been in years. At this point, she might have a few a month. We don’t know what happens when she sleeps, and we don’t know if some of the Rett twitchy’s are neurological episodes. We ask ourselves where the line is all the time."

So, yeah, tricky. Mom and dad aren't worried like they were 3 years ago, but they are obviously still worried and hoping all the time for improvements in treatment, if not a cure, of Rett Syndrome.

Cordelia Burrows is the daughter of Miriam and Daniel Burrows, Cordelia has Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes regressions in development, obstacles to motor planning, and seizures.
Cordelia Burrows is the daughter of Miriam and Daniel Burrows, Cordelia has Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes regressions in development, obstacles to motor planning, and seizures.

She's moved from a stroller to a wheelchair, which makes getting her to appointments out of the house difficult. That responsibility mostly falls to Daniel.

"I gave up leaving the house with my daughter about 2 years ago," Miriam said. "I just can’t do it. I’m five feet tall, 48 years old, and while I yoga and run, my back sucks."

Miriam works at the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, administering the scholarship program, the Youth Philanthropy Council, and the Dawbarn Education Awards. She's been telling her coworkers for years that her family was in need of a wheelchair van, but those aren’t cheap.

Then, recently, one of those coworkers, Chris Lassiter, spotted a wheelchair van for sale in his neighborhood. It was listed at $6,200. Miriam asked if she could have some time to raise the money and the owner agreed.

"See my beautiful daughter below and her great long legs," Miriam posted on Facebook. "She turns nine in a few weeks and we just came across a great deal for a used wheelchair van! It's already all decked out with the ramp and tiedowns. I have one week to raise the money to buy it. Please donate to the health and safety of Cordelia and also of my back! LOVE!"

It took one day for the community to donate the money. Now the Burrows family owns a Red 1996 Dodge Ram van with crushed velvet interior and a fully operational motorized wheelchair lift.

Miriam said there were old and new friends, family and complete strangers, liberals and conservatives, spiritual people and atheists donating to help her family. She loves them all.

"I’m filled up to the brim with gratitude and love for this incredible and life-altering gift," she said. "So when you see a Red 1996 Dodge Ram Van with the license plate '4 CORDY' that’s us. Wave. We’re really proud to be your neighbor."

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— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton family thanks community for 'life-altering' gift of wheelchair van