West Herr Provides Peace of Mind to Great Valley Family
West Herr Provides Peace of Mind to Great Valley Family
Automotive group donates wheelchair accessible van to help with medical transport for Trenton Pierce
PHOTO CAPTION: The Pierce family was presented with a wheelchair accessible van last Friday, April 9th at the West Herr Automotive Group in Orchard Park. Pictured L to R: Marty Battaglia, West Herr Retail Acquisitions Performance Manager, Tony Pierce, Jordan Pierce, Scott Bieler, President & CEO of West Herr, Jason Christopher, General Manager of West Herr Dodge, Annette Smith and Tracey Duffy, West Herr Executive Assistants.
For every doctor’s visit, Trenton Pierce - a young boy from Great Valley, NY who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - had to be helped inside his family’s car by his parents and a manual lifting-sling for a two-hour drive to Rochester. Today, Trenton is able to safely travel for his medical needs in a van that accommodates his wheelchair thanks to a donation from Scott Bieler and the West Herr Automotive Group.
After recovering from a fall that left him with a fractured femur late in 2020, Trenton’s ability to maneuver his way around places was drastically hindered. His accident, coupled with his continuous battle with DMD which eats away at muscles across the human body, required the use of a wheelchair. Despite successful yet difficult trips to his medical visits, Trenton’s parents knew they needed a vehicle that could properly accommodate his needs.
In search of a suitable way to transport Trenton, the Pierce family and their friend Michelle Wasserman launched the “Give Trenton a Lift” fundraiser. Their GoFundMe campaign remained successful, growing in donations to a third of their $18,000 goal for the purchase of a transport van. As the community around Trenton’s story continued to raise funds, an anonymous individual emailed the West Herr Automotive Group asking for help.
“After looking at the GoFundMe page and reading about Trenton’s situation, we reached out to Trenton’s mother, Jordan Pierce, and invited her to sit down and talk,” said Annette Smith, Executive Assistant to Scott Bieler, President & CEO of West Herr. “There is a spot on our website where people can send us messages; we read them everyday. We knew we wanted to help the Pierce family.”
As part of the “West Herr Cares” initiative, Scott Bieler and his team spoke to Jordan and her family about donating a 2016 Dodge Caravan equipped with accommodations made for Trenton’s wheelchair. On Friday, April 9th, the Pierce Family received that transport van, along with a manual side-entry wheelchair ramp. Every day since, Trenton has been asking for joyrides.
“After hearing Trenton’s story and getting to know the family, Scott Bieler, our President, was compelled to help,” explained Smith. “When we get presented with these unique opportunities to help someone, we’re going to do it. We want to make a difference.”
In an effort to maintain their new vehicle, Trenton’s parents have used the funds raised from the GoFundMe campaign for a three-year warranty. They have also offered refunds to anyone who wishes to withdraw from the donations pile. Having an all-accessible van donated to them, the Pierce family will now be able to safely transport Trenton back and forth to his appointments in Rochester.
“We are so thankful for everything that everybody has done to help get us this far - everyone in the community, and especially Scott Bieler and West Herr,” Jordan said. “Trenton cannot stop smiling every time we get in the van; it brings us joy and relief.
While Trenton continues to fight DMD, the people around him that love him the most including his family, loved ones and members of the community, are thankful that they could help in his battle.
West Herr Automotive Group / West Herr Cares is proud to be involved with many great charities and organizations within Western New York. Learn more at westherr.com. Follow West Herr on FB/IG and Twitter @westherr