Apache Junction residents Michael and Donivan Hicks are a father and son facing medical challenges who are fundraising with the nonprofit Help Hope Live for an accessible van that can safely hold two wheelchairs.

They are homebound until they can secure a wheelchair van. While a van will improve their safety and access to medical care as well as their community, insurance doesn’t cover the cost. That means they are on the hook for roughly $64,000 out-of-pocket, according to a release.

A total of $3,900 has been raised as of May 31 from a $64,000 goal, it states at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/23438/.

Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.

Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised more than $181 million to pay patient expenses.

Michael Hicks and his wife, Angie, have been married for 43 years. Their second child, Donivan, was born with a missing chromosome; today, he is 41 and relies on a trach, a feeding tube and 24/7 caregiving to stay healthy, according to a release.

“He is non-verbal and unable to do anything on his own,” Angie Hicks said in the release, “but he is still one of the happiest people I know.”

When Michael Hicks was 26 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is now reliant on a wheelchair for mobility, the release states.

Michael and Donivan Hicks need safe and reliable transportation and to protect Angie Hick’s safety as she serves as their caregiver, it states.

“The possibility of me injuring myself or them while I’m trying to transfer them into our car is a real fear,” Angie Hicks said in the release. “Who will care for them if that happens?”

That’s why they turned to the national medical fundraising nonprofit Help Hope Live, it states in the release.

“We are a family that rarely asks for help,” Angie Hicks said in the release. “But our backs are against the wall on this one. A wheelchair van will give them the quality of care they deserve and the quality of life they need. It will be priceless for all of us.”