The Traveling Wheelchair

June of 2010, Matt Eddy will be attempting to set a new Guinness Book World Record “Trans USA by Wheelchair” Claim ID 279955 while conducting the “Million Smiles Tour”. Matt has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and is only strong enough to move two fingers. He is confined to a wheelchair and requires a ventilator to breathe. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disease is a severe recessive form of Muscular Dystrophy characterized by rapid progression of muscle degeneration.

Matt was diagnosed at the young age of 4 and was able to walk until he was 10. At the age of 20, Matt was institutionalized for 6 months after a tracheotomy was placed and he became ventilator dependent. With the help of  Matt’s Place he was able to move out of the institution into his own community home with full medical supports. From June 29, 2008 to October 25,2008, Matt took his wheelchair  Roll’n Across America Summer 2008 to raise awareness for disability issues and represent  Matt’s Place, a charity that Matt and his Respiratory Therapist Ron Steenbruggen started to build accessible houses for people with severe disabilities so they can live independently in their communities.

Matt will leave Red Rock Park at Lynn Beach in Lynn, Massachusetts on June 5, 2010 at 10am and drive his wheelchair on back roads across the USA with a final destination of The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Matt’s goal is to cross the USA in the shortest time by wheelchair while collecting one dollar from one million people. The journey is estimated to take 120 days. The funds raised from the “Million Smiles Tour” will support the programs provided by Matt’s Place Inc.

Matt’s Place Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization which helps people with severe physical disabilities who are intellectually capable of directing their own care live independently in the community. Matt’s Place provides housing, caregiver training and scheduling and community education and awareness. Currently there are millions of non-elderly adults living in nursing homes and chronic care institutions simply because there is a severe shortage of affordable accessible housing. The programs of Matt’s Place are a win-win situation for all Americans. Enabling people with severe physical disabilities to live independently within their community not only provides a better quality of life for people with disabilities but also is more cost effective.

Matt’s Place current fundraising goal is $35,000. This will provide the funds necessary to get Matt and his support staff across the country and to abide by the guidelines set up by Guinness Book World Records to verify and claim the “Trans USA by Wheelchair” record. All donations are tax deductible and can be made payable to Matt’s Place c/o Eastern Bank, 156 Boston Street, Lynn, MA 01904 or online at www.officialmattsplace.org/donations.htm .

Kenny & Company proudly support the astonishing work Matt’s Place
is doing to help get people with disabilities out of institutions!

We urge our readers to support Matt’s Place! 

We are Thankful to Tim Carey of  DisabilityVoice for letting us know about Matt’s “Million Smiles Tour”. It’s important that people with disabilities and those who care about people with disabilities join forces and network with each other to help make the world a better place to live.

Follow Matt’s blog this summer as he describes his travels and the people he meets at http://obcripple.livejournal.com/.

Below is the contact information for Matt’s Place and a video of Matt’s 2008 journey Roll’n Across America!

Matt’s Place
P.O. Box 305
Lynn, Ma. 01903
Phone: 1-888-70-MATTS (62887) or 781-581-2205
Website: http://officialmattsplace.org/
Email: info@officialmattsplace.org Roll’n Across America 2008
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFtEDYgTDOo