Family hopes to raise funds for son’s handicapped van

SAUGUS – Colby Deharo is a lovable, bright, 4-year-old boy with severe Cerebral Palsy.Like any other child, Colby desires more independence as he grows, and in May that independence came in the form of a motorized wheelchair.But because his family does not have the physical means to transport the wheelchair on a daily basis, it must stay at his school in Lexington.This limits Colby’s mobility outside of school and he depends on his parents to manually move him around, which is becoming increasingly difficult as Colby gets older.”We transport him with our Honda Odyssey, but it doesn’t provide him with the independence that he needs because his wheelchair is too big and he doesn’t have the upper body strength to move himself in a manual wheelchair,” said Colby’s father Jeff Deharo, a Saugus native currently living in Woburn.”We decided in May that he would need the special wheelchair, so around that time we started the effort of finding out how we could get a van for him, and all the avenues we came across had no means of giving us aid because no organizations have the funds to give up front with the economy. The van is going to cost us $70,000 to $80,000.”Colby’s parents will hold a fundraiser today to raise money to purchase a handicapped-accessible van to transport Colby and his wheelchair.The event at the Sons of Italy in Woburn will be a family-friendly evening of dancing and fun with light food, a cash bar and music provided by Gaeta Entertainment.There will also be a penny-style raffle with 30 baskets worth up to $150, and an auction with items such as sports memorabilia and Patriots and Bruins tickets.”We’ve had a very positive response so far and we’re hoping we’ll get about 200 people there,” said Deharo. “We’ve had a great outpouring of gift cards and certificates from local businesses, as well as donations for food.”Available raffle prizes include two American Airline tickets for anywhere in the Continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean or Bahamas, a sapphire and diamond ring valued at $1,300, a gift card for a signature facial at Elizabeth Grady, two new iPod nanos and dozens of other items and certificates for local restaurants and services.The event for Colby Deharo will be held tonight from 5 to 10 at the Sons of Italy in Woburn. Tickets are $20 per adult and tickets for children younger than 12 are priced at parents’ discretion. Tickets are available in advance, as well as at the door, and individual, corporate, special interest, or group donations will happily be accepted all evening.”Colby’s going to be having major muscle surgery at the end of October and then major bone surgery over the next two years, so it’s a long, arduous road for us to get this van and to get the equipment and other services as he continues to grow and goes through these surgeries,” said Deharo. “The van will be a huge, huge help.”If you can’t make the event, but would like to make a donation to help Colby, please send checks payable to Colby Deharo to 1 Spring Garden Terrace, Woburn, MA 01801.Raffle tickets are also available prior to the event for those who are interested, but cannot make it. For more information contact Tracy Deharo at 617-640-1598, or Jeff Deharo at 617-240-1715.