The family of a 9-year-old boy with cerebral palsy needs a wheelchair van. Here's how you can help

The community and Port Huron Police Department Officer Jennifer Sly are stepping up to help a local family purchase a new wheelchair van for a 9-year-old boy with cerebral palsy.

Mason Warner can walk short distances, but he needs a wheelchair for longer periods of time, such as shopping at the grocery store, said his mother, Chantel Warner.

Caused by brain damage at birth, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting a person's muscle control and coordination and ability to move. Mason also has hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid within the brain, and chronic lung disease. 

Currently, a family member must carry Mason to and from their family van whenever they travel, which usually falls to his mother. As a growing boy, he is getting heavier to lift, which is physically taxing, she said. 

"It's hard to get up and go places," she said. 

The new wheelchair van will have access so that Mason can either walk into the van on his own or wheel himself into it, Chantel Warner said. A new van would save the strain on her, provide Mason with greater independence and make traveling easier for the family. 

A mutual friend of Officer Sly and Chantel Warner told Sly about the family's need. Sly reached out to the family to see how she could help and set up a Facebook fundraising page titled help Mason get his wheelchair accessible van. In five days, the page has raised $17,470 of the $30,000 goal. Those who wish to send donations can mail them to 3839 Keegan Road, Emmett, MI 48022. Make checks out to Jennifer Boismier with a description in the memo line. 

"Being a police officer, I suppose you have a bit of a platform to stand on, maybe you get a bit more attention when you're trying to raise funds," Sly said. "Being a police officer is a lot more than just arresting people and writing tickets. It's about your community, it's about helping people in your community."

Smokey Jim's Barbecue in Marysville will be donating a portion of their profits to Mason's family from May 27-30.

Readings by Melissa will be offering mini tarot card readings for a $25 donation to the family from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 27 at 2827 Gratiot Blvd., Marysville. Raffle tickets for a free two-person private medium session will also be available for $5 each. 

Chantel Warner said the family is overwhelmed by the community's support. 

"There is never going to be enough thank yous," she said. 

Mason attends physical therapy four times a week and occupational therapy one day a week to maintain his strength and balance, Chantel Warner said. Mason underwent numerous surgeries when he was younger and it is likely that he will use a  wheelchair for assistance for the rest of his life. 

His father, Mark Colgan, and two sisters, Kaylyn and Lauryn, are also a big help, fetching him things and carrying him up stairs in the family's home, his mother said.  

Mason loves Disney and any kind of music. He said he's learning to play the guitar.

He was involved in the Port Huron Civic Theater before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down public gatherings. He played a member of the Mad Hatter's birthday party in Alice in Wonderland. 

"He's creative and I think he's going to do big things," Chantel Warner said. 

Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or at lfitzgeral@gannett.com.