COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — Thanks to a giveaway on Monday, a West Michigan family with a special needs child will be getting some much-needed help.
"All morning's been a whirlwind," said Sam Prosser. "Just all smiles, all getting up, just good day to have a good day type deal."
Sam and Hilary Prosser told 13 ON YOUR SIDE their van was not good enough for transporting their son, Ben.
"There's nothing wrong with our minivan," said Sam. "It's just not good for Ben."
Ben relies on a wheelchair to get around. Monday morning, the non-profit Lori's Voice donated a brand-news wheelchair accessible van to the family.
The Prossers said with the new van, they can wheel Ben right in and they'll finally have more space for the things he needs.
"We can do these things now, like go places where we couldn't before," said Sam.
"Just the ease of getting him in and out would be incredible," Hilary added.
While Sam and Hilary are excited for the new van, they said Ben has shown clear excitement as well.
"He was pointing to it," said Hilary. "He was, 'mama, mama.'"
"Yeah, he knew," said Sam. "He definitely knows. He knows it's his van, like he's excited. He keeps just wanting to be in it. And we took him out earlier, and he was upset that we took him out."
The Prossers said that previously, things like long trips were basically out of the question because of how difficult it would be to get Ben around.
"It's packing our van with multiple pieces of equipment and then it's also packing it with our personal stuff," said Sam.
"And even, I mean, bathroom breaks," added Hilary. 'Stopping for getting out to get something to eat, anything like that was always having to lift him and transfer him and take the whole wheelchair out of the back, and all that."
But now, with the help of the new van, the Prossers said their first vacation will be to the U.P. in a couple of weeks.