A Camden County family is hoping for a miracle just days before Christmas.
Jeremiah Parker,7, wheeled around his family’s living room and showed off his moves in his electric wheelchair. His mother, Lydia Parker, said he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy about a year ago.
"My biggest fear is that there won't be a cure," Parker said.
Parker said the disorder basically takes all the body's muscle and exchanges it for fat. Since Jeremiah’s diagnosis, Parker said their life now consists of doctor visits and physical therapy.
"He's gone from really being able to walk normally and run to having to use his wheelchair for long trips,” Parker said.
With Jeremiah’s health deteriorating, Parker said he needs his electric wheelchair more than ever, but the van the family currently drives can’t transport it.
"He's starting to really notice the difference between him and other kids, and that's one of the reasons we want the van because when he's in his chair he has legs," Parker said.
Parker said a wheelchair-accessible van could cost them up to $60,000, an amount she said they can’t afford on their own.
“His muscles are getting weaker and we need to start making changes. We weren't prepared. It just happened." Parker said.
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Hope is what Parker said their family is clinging to, hope for a cure and hope that Jeremiah will live his life to the fullest.
"We're just trying to give him the best life that we can and take him everywhere and experience everything because we're racing a clock that can go out at anytime," Parker said.
The family has a Gofundme page for Jeremiah's van.