About this project

We are announcing a new fundraising campaign to support a local 5 year old boy, Mikhail Mikhtyuk, residing in New South Wales, Australia. Since 2 years of age, Mikhail has been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type-2, an inherited condition involving progressive muscle weakness. At the age of 5, he is unable to sit without support, crawl or walk. Mikhail relies on a wheelchair for mobility. We are raising funds towards a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for Mikhail’s transportation.

We are delighted to share the great news of receiving a $500 grant from Shell Australia towards this cause! This is a truly appreciated and inspiring start. We are now asking for your support.

While Mikhail is able to use a manual wheelchair around the house, his hand muscles are too weak for him to manage the rough surface outside. Hence, to date, Mikhail’s mother, Anna, had to take him for a walk in a pram. Furthermore, due to weak posture, requiring a support corset, Mikhail tires easily when seated. The family has received government funding to purchase a new electric wheelchair, which offers superior back support and will enable Mikhail to move around with greater ease. This is particularly timely given that he is about to start school.

The problem is, however, that the electric wheelchair weighs 80 kg, hence it is almost impossible to get it in and out of the car for transportation without using a specialised wheelchair accessible vehicle. Purchasing an already converted car costs around AUD 50,000 for a relatively new model and approximately AUD 30,000 for a 15 year old vehicle. There is also a possibility of purchasing a vehicle which can then be converted to suit Mikhail’s needs with the probable financial aid from the Enabled organisation. However, the vehicles approved by Enabled have specific requirements (e.g. the car has to be less than three years old or have a <30,000 km mileage) and the amount of rebate for conversion is uncertain.

It is only the father who is working in the family, with Anna taking full time care of Mikhail. While the family is receiving financial support through NDIS, this is not sufficient to cover the required expanses. For instance, in view of a recently funded electric wheelchair, the parents did not receive a rebate for a manual wheelchair, which was recommended by the physiotherapist to develop Mikhail’s muscle strength.

The Little Cloud Foundation is eager to support Mikhail and his family and is announcing a fundraiser towards purchasing a vehicle that will accommodate an electric wheelchair. To make a donation towards a vehicle suitable for Mikhail’s needs, please transfer the funds to our account with a reference “Mikhail.”