Paralyzed Teen Gets New Modified Van
After a communitywide fund-raising effort, Kevin Natale has new wheels.
The 17-year-old Ventura Keys resident, paralyzed from the waist down after an unprovoked shooting 3 1/2 years ago by a vengeful neighbor, has received a new, 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan.
The van--purchased at its $24,000 wholesale price from Crown Dodge in Ventura--is now in New Mexico where it will undergo $15,000 worth of modifications and be ready for Kevin and his wheelchair in about six weeks.
The vehicle will replace his unreliable 1986 van, which had 120,000 miles on it.
The new van was purchased after Kevin’s plight was publicized by his grandfather, former Ventura County Marshal John MacIntyre, and the county’s law enforcement community rallied to help raise $33,000 needed for the vehicle and its modification.
Local police officer associations contributed about $2,750, said MacIntyre, but everybody from senior citizens to children chipped in. “We had a little girl, 7 years old, who took her $1 allowance money and gave it to Kevin,” he said. “We’ve had close to 400 people who sent checks. . . . People have opened up their hearts and pocketbooks.”
Even though Kevin has his vehicle, about $6,000 is still needed to fully pay for the necessary modifications.
People who would like to help may send checks to: Wheels For Kevin, P.O. Box 7786, Ventura CA 93006.
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