"I was very scared. I didn't know if she was gonna make it," said Paul Hoppe, relieved that his mother is still here.
Just over a month ago, Kim Hoppe got caught in a terrible accident that almost claimed her right foot.
A driver, she says, hit her going 90 mph in a 45 mph zone, sending her to the hospital with a shattered ankle.
Her ankle was luckily saved by doctors, but the vehicle she was in -- a 1998 retrofitted van couldn't be salvaged, leaving her temporarily handicapped and unable to properly care for her disabled son.
With spina bifida, 29 year-old Paul has come to depend on the vehicle to get to doctor's appointments.
But it goes even further than that, Hoppe saying she relies on that car to distribute hundreds of food packages weekly to students in need
She says she needs the van as the new school year begins. But estimates on a new barrier-free, handicapped accessible vehicle are at $40,000.
Despite the challenges financially, Paul says he's choosing to remain positive.
"We'll get a vehicle again, you have to be optimistic."
The family is on the hunt for a new handicapped vehicle, and they're asking for help from the public.
Anyone who may have one to donate is asked to contact the news desk.
The family also has a GoFundMe page set upin their name where they are accepting donations.
