WISCASSET
An anonymous donor has come forward with a $1,000 match grant donation for Cindy Flavin, a Wiscasset woman with muscular dystrophy who is in need of a new wheelchair-accessible van, and is encouraging others to give on Flavin’s GoFundMe page this weekend.
Earlier this month, Flavin’s sister-in-law had set up the fundraising page for her, as financing a new vehicle can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000. The page quickly gained views and shares on social media, drawing the attention of Flavin’s old classmates from Brunswick High School.
To help, classmates Kim Edwards and Sara Au, who also graduated with Flavin in 1989, proposed a campaign on Flavin’s GoFundMe page, asking 1,000 donors to contribute $30 in 30 days to meet her goal by Mother’s Day.
The anonymous donor is also a 1989 graduate from Brunswick who had heard about Flavin’s situation through a Times Record article.
“Instead of just making a donation, this person wanted to inspire others to continue making donations,” Au said in an email.
Flavin’s need for a new van is even more necessary now, as her current van, which was already riddled with problems, died on Wednesday.
“When you lose something that you use almost on a daily basis, it’s just amazing how much you miss it when it’s gone,” she said Thursday. “It’s been tough.”
While others have also reached out to her with some van options, Flavin said the challenge has been finding one that specifically suits her needs.
“Most of the vans that are out there — that are converted — are specifically related to what kind of illness that person has and the needs that they need to have for that, and it doesn’t necessarily match other people’s challenges,” she said.
Flavin expressed her appreciation for the overwhelming response, noting that the GoFundMe page shares alone are “worth millions to me.”
“I just want to make sure I give my heartfelt gratitude to everyone,” she said.
From today until the end of this weekend, the anonymous donor will match all gifts made to Cindy’s campaign, of up to $1,000. To donate, visit gofundme.com/vanforcindy.
dkim@timesrecord.com
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