Family's new van is something of a magic carpet

Getting around used to be difficult for David and Tanya Hall and their three children.

Not anymore.

Dr. Gretchen Meyer, a developmental pediatrician at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, helped the Green Run family get a new set of wheels.

All of the Hall children have GM1 Gangliosidosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delays. In November, The Beacon featured the family in a story about the Make-A-Wish Foundation granting their children's wishes.

Meyer wanted to do something to ease the family's challenges. She learned that the family - which has one child already in a wheelchair because of the condition - had only one vehicle to get around.

The family's van didn't have a lift and barely accommodated 13-year-old Christopher's wheelchair.

The doctor contacted a friend, Joe Valenzano, the president and chief executive officer of EP Global Communications, parent company of Exceptional Parent magazine. The publication is geared to families caring for children with special needs.

In February, when Valenzano heard about the Halls' predicament, he went into action.

"I put a call out to clients," he said. "Before lunch, we had three van companies willing to donate a van, so it was really a heartwarming story. For me, it was a gratifying experience."

The Hall family now cruises around town in a sizeable blue van that can accommodate Christopher's wheelchair and a big family. It's also equipped with a DVD player and is perfect for the parents of three growing children. Besides Christopher, there's Tiffany, 12, and Aaron, 9.

The van was provided by an Accessible Vans & Mobility dealership in Norristown, Pa.

Heather Roche, marketing director for Accessible Vans, said the vehicle can be further adapted to accommodate another wheelchair if it's needed.

"Everyone just really had the attitude of 'let's roll up our sleeves and see what we can do to help them,' " Roche said.

David Hall said he thinks his daughter may soon need to be put into a wheelchairbecause of the nature of the progressive disorder. Hall said the illness means a complete shutdown of all systems, starting with the skeletal and neural systems.

With the new van, Hall said the trip home from Pennsylvania last weekend was an effortless one.

"It's a lot more convenient," he said. "It's nice because now we have two vehicles again."

The children were entertained by the vehicle's DVD player during the six-hour ride home.

"They literally got to sit back and watch some movies," Hall said. "We barely heard a peep."

Rita Frankenberry, (757) 222-5102 or rita.frankenberry@pilotonline.com