Veronica and Chris Walsh of K.I. Sawyer need a special van to help her become mobile and become more independent in her daily life. With them is their cat Chevy. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

K.I. SAWYER — What many people take for granted — getting in a vehicle and driving to work — is a dream for others.

It’s a dream that Veronica Walsh has had for some time, and it’s a dream shared by her husband, Chris.

The couple lives in K.I. Sawyer with their eight cats. It’s a cozy arrangement, but one that makes it difficult for Veronica to get to her job in Marquette Township — and it has nothing to do with their pets.

Veronica, a paraplegic, has been in a wheelchair since she was a baby as the result of a car accident in Indiana, suffering a spinal cord injury.

However, she eventually earned a degree from the University of Southern Indiana where she studied mathematics and business administration.

Because she had a van with a ramp and hand controls she bought with money earned from her job as a debt collector for Sallie Mae, Veronica was able to get around.

That hasn’t been the case since the special van broke down in 2012.

Chris called his wife a “virtual prisoner” in their home.

Can she walk at all, even a little bit?

“Not a step,” Veronica said.

The couple has a campaign at gofundme.com/MyWifesMobility in which Chris detailed its plight:

“My wife has been without a way to get around on her own for far too long. She used to have a van with a ramp and hand controls that she was able to go places on her own. But ever since that vehicle broke down years ago she has been reliant on others to go anywhere or do anything. She is a virtual prisoner at home and with me working I fear what would happen if something happened while I am not home.

“I love her and want to see her get her life back, a life that doesn’t rely on others to go places. I did get a van with a lift in it to aid in moving her but it still requires someone else to load her in it. If I get her a new van she can drive.”

He wrote that he plans to donate their current van to a good cause should they acquire a special one.

Veronica works at home for Superior Contact in Marquette Township, but Chris, who used to work in retail, currently is unemployed, acting as his wife’s helper.

“If I go to work, she can’t get up and get down here to the kitchen to prepare any food or anything, so I have to make sure she has everything she needs before I go on an eight-hour shift and hope to God nothing happens while I’m gone, because there’s nobody here to help her,” Chris said.

Her independence, though, is their goal.

“We’re trying to get it where she doesn’t rely on other people to go places,” he said.

His wife easily could just sit around home all day.

However, Veronica said she’d rather work than live on disability.

“Before 2012, nobody did anything for me,” she said.

She acknowledges other people are in similar situations.

“I do feel like one of the lucky ones definitely, just because I can do a lot more than some of the others can,” Veronica said.

A new van would help, however, although that can be pricey. Chris noted an average van costs about $35,000, while a modified van with a ramp and hand controls runs about $67,000 or $68,000.

Their GoFundMe goal is $50,000. Even a donated van would help, he said.

Veronica said learning about good community resources also can benefit her, since she’s willing to work for them.

“Just point me in the direction of what I can do,” she said.

For more information on how to help the Walshes, call them at 906-346-2243 or donate at their GoFundMe page.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.