Nicholas Feldman
Dare to Dream Attendant Services
275 5th. St. #203
San Francisco, Ca. 94103
(800)988-9927
www.daretodreamattendantservices.com
Dear Volunteers,
I would like to share with you a really compelling and timely story. This story is where my passion lies in helping people with disabilities live as an individual in their own homes with the proper care and support so they can be contributing members of society and their own community.
Nick Dupree lives in Mobile, Alabama and lives with his mother and grandmother. His mother has a full time job and his grandmother still helps reposition him at night. Until the age of 21, Nick has had the 24/7 in home nursing care he needed to go to school and function in society. The law in Mobile, Alabama was that if someone was over the age of 21 and was required a ventilator, then they must move into a nursing home. That was the case until Nick came along. Nick went up against the system that usually makes people surrender their life to an institution, which is called Medicaid. Nick was determined to go to college rather than to surrender his rights and life to an institution, which Nick came up against due to his muscular dystrophy.
Nick went up against the system and won his rights to have nursing after the age of twenty-one. He did this by having to go to court and change legislation with the help of politicians and state hearings. Well, the nurses that had to take on his case were not too happy about this new idea. Nick wishes to come to California and live with a roommate who also has the same disability as he does. Nick continues to be determined enough to want to continue with school and be in California by May.
Nick's care in California would be different. He would have more freedom because he would have in home supportive services and a nursing waiver. The laws in California are more community based and less restrictive for someone with a disability.
Nick wants to move to northern California to gain his independence and to let him go back to college. Nick needs money, not only for the move, but also until his care waiver kicks in. The cost of Nick’s housing would need to be the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent, and a security deposit. This, of course, also depends on whether Nick can find accessible affordable housing for his roommate and himself. We predict physical access and the price of the move-in will be over $5,000. The price of Nick’s care will be extensively more until the waiver is put into effect. The waiver could take 4-6 months to implement. This means that the cost of his care would be roughly, without including taxes, $200,000. If you could please help out with this situation, with either money or other suggestions, please contact me at daretodreamattendantservices@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Nick Feldman
We need your help to raise money, find him a place to live, help with paperwork, and for those who are more adventurous and have done home care before, possibly travel to Alabama. We are also in need for live entertainment: singers, dancers, comedians, and people to help spread the word. People with disabilities encouraged to apply.
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