It was a great day! A new car means more independence!

There was great excitement when Nina and her mother, Branka, entered the Mobility Park in Aichelau. The occasion was the handover of their new vehicle, a VW Caddy Maxi. For the mother-daughter team, this meant one thing above all: a huge step towards independence and a better quality of life. They had beaming faces and big plans.

When Nina and Branka see their new VW Caddy Maxi for the first time, their faces light up. To them, the vehicle means more than just mobility; it also represents a bit of freedom and normality. Together, they overcome the challenges of everyday life with energy, love, and mutual support. Thanks to the PARAVAN rear ramp, Nina can now comfortably enter the vehicle with her power wheelchair. For longer trips, she can easily transfer to the passenger seat next to her mother with the help of a swivel seat, where she enjoys controlling the music.

They had never seen their car before the handover. So, they were all the more excited when the time finally came. For shorter trips, Nina can stay in her wheelchair; for longer trips, she sits in the passenger seat. The first thing they did was connect the radio to Nina's cell phone.

A long road to mobility

It has been difficult to organize spontaneous appointments or activities, such as visits to the doctor, school events, and meetings with friends. Nina was born nine weeks prematurely and has relied on a wheelchair ever since. Just over a year ago, she received a new electric wheelchair, which was a technical advance in terms of her independence but also presented a logistical challenge. The 400-pound wheelchair did not fit into the previous Renault Kangoo, and it could not be converted as planned.

The solution was a new vehicle. They quickly found the VW Caddy Maxi, but financing it posed a major hurdle for the small family. While the family could finance the basic vehicle with their own funds, foundation money, and donations, there were no funds for the disabled-friendly conversion. Another fundraising campaign raised 11,000 euros, but more than half of the required sum was still missing.

Hope and help from the region

The decisive breakthrough came through an appeal for donations in the local press and the willingness of Trochtelfingen businessman Thomas Vöhringer to help. "The report simply touched us," he says. Together with his four children, Vöhringer supported the family quickly and without bureaucracy. The renovation could begin. "He got in touch when everything seemed hopeless," says the single mother. For Vöhringer, it was important to help the couple quickly. "So that the family could put it behind them and have security." In addition to the financial burden, Nina had health problems at the time.

"I thought I was dreaming for ten minutes when I heard that the money had come together," Branka reports. "This is our savior." Vöhringer believes in providing help where it is most needed. It was clear to Vöhringer that they could provide concrete help directly to the people without detours.

Other supporters provided emotional moments as well, and they are always in our thoughts: "My former class made a generous donation with the note '10b,'" says Branka. "Every donation, whether large or small, helped us get this fantastic car. We are infinitely grateful for that."

Finally, get started with a plan and a playlist!

Now, with her mother at her side, the 13-year-old schoolgirl can finally get going again. Together, they live life as a well-coordinated team. "With her by my side, I feel so normal that I forget my disability," says Nina. They can now decide for themselves when and where they want to go—to school events that the transportation service doesn't cover, to the movies, or simply to the countryside. "I immediately started a list of all the things we can do now," Nina says enthusiastically.

When it came time for delivery, she naturally took the box seat next to her mother. "Can I try to connect the car right away?" Nina asks excitedly. From now on, she will provide the right soundtrack for their trips—her favorites, Britney Spears and Tina Turner.

Where the first big trip will take them is still up in the air, but there are plenty of ideas. One thing is certain, though: the new Caddy brings back not only mobility but also a great deal of joie de vivre.