Seven-year-old Turlock resident Miracle Melgoza has a new wheelchair and, with it, has regained her independence.
It’s been months since her customized wheelchair was stolen from her mother’s car. The community came to her aid, contributing to a GoFundMe account before, an “angel donor” emerged to pick up the entire $8,500 tab for the new wheelchair, allowing Miracle’s family to hold on to their GoFundMe funds for future expenditures.
“That was part of why it was so upsetting, because no matter what, I knew it was going to take time,” said Juliana Melgoza, Miracle’s mother. “They have to build it, customize it, ship it. This was really a theft of her independence.”
Miracle, who suffers from spina bifida, is non-verbal. Her wheelchair allows her to move freely about the house without having to be carried or use an uncomfortable, makeshift wheelchair.
“You could tell it bothered her to be unable to move herself,” said Melgoza. “You could see it. Everybody in that room could see it. She knew that she had control again. She was no longer trapped.”
One Sunday morning earlier this year as Melgoza was getting her children ready for church, her 9-year-old daughter, Diamond, looked outside and noticed the family’s vehicle — a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas — was missing.
A neighbor’s doorbell camera showed suspicious activity in the wee hours of the morning. A few hours later, the vehicle was located thanks in part to the car’s GPS system.
Though the car was returned, Melgoza figured some items might be missing. She never suspected her daughter’s wheelchair would be one of them.
The Turlock Associated Peace Officers donated $1,000 and helped the family hit the $3,000 mark of their $10,000 GoFundMe goal when the angel donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, read about the family in a Journal story and paid for a new wheelchair that was delivered June 9.
Now, the family has a rainy day fund to help defray costs of the upcoming medical procedures that Miracle faces.
“She has a slew of other things besides spina bifida,” said. Melgoza. “She has scoliosis, seizure disorders, a neurogenic bladder, Chiari malformation disorder (when part of the skull is too small or misshapen),” said Melgoza. “And because of the severity of her scoliosis and the fact that she has no core strength, the chair helps to keep her sitting straight.
“Her name — Miracle — is very fitting for her. They did not even expect her to be as old as she is now. She’s endured more than most adults: medical comas, six brain surgeries, two spinal surgeries, she’s beaten cancer. She’s a literal miracle.”
Up next for the third-grader-to-be with the stunning smile is the Fourth of July.
“She loves fireworks,” said Melgoza. “S’mores and fireworks. I don’t think she really gets the concept of Independence Day, but she knows we get to set off a bunch of loud stuff that she likes.”
To contribute to Miracle’s GoFundMe account, which currently has a balance of about $5,800, visit gofundme.com and search “Miracle Melgoza.”
