Tristan Knapp-Fisher, a life-long car lover, has dreamed of going to the world鈥檚 largest auto show in Las Vegas for as long as he can remember.
But Knapp-Fisher, 23, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that attacks the body鈥檚 muscles. He has been in a wheelchair since he was about nine and requires 24-hour care, making it difficult for him to travel.
Knapp-Fisher isn鈥檛 able to travel on a regular plane, because passengers aren鈥檛 allowed to stay in their wheelchairs. Transferring out of the chair and checking it into the plane鈥檚 hold isn鈥檛 an option. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an extension of his body,鈥� mom Karen McCoy said.
It鈥檚 also too risky, since the chair could be damaged during the flight.
So his friends and family are fundraising to rent a private plane to get Knapp-Fisher to Sema, a four-day Las Vegas car show in November that brings together more than 70,000 people from the industry.
It鈥檚 the only way he鈥檒l be able to make the trip. Knapp-Fisher鈥檚 wheelchair wouldn鈥檛 fit in an RV and the multi-day trip to Las Vegas would be too difficult with his medical needs.
They鈥檙e hoping to raise $27,000 to cover travel costs to get to the show. Since February, a has raised more than $10,000. Even though the show is still a few months away, they鈥檙e starting to feel the pressure to start booking accommodation and the plane.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting him there no matter what,鈥� said Joe Semren, Knapp-Fisher鈥檚 boss at SHC Autographx, an auto store in Victoria. Semren owns the store with wife Nada Azouri, who started the fundraiser. SHC is donating $2聽from every invoice between March 1 and Oct. 31 to the cause.
Knapp-Fisher has been running the business鈥檚 social media for the past three years, after visiting the shop to buy new tires for his van.
鈥淗e brought me the information on the wheels, and he was way ahead of the time,鈥� Semren said. 鈥淔ive years later, everybody鈥檚 buying that style that鈥檚 on his van.鈥�
Semren was impressed with Knapp-Fisher鈥檚 car knowledge, so he agreed to let him manage the company鈥檚 Facebook page, as a volunteer at first. After a few months, Knapp-Fisher asked to be paid, and he鈥檚 been an employee ever since.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice for me. Because of my disability, I鈥檓 quite limited, and it鈥檚 nice that I was able to do something like this,鈥� Knapp-Fisher said.
McCoy traces her son鈥檚 love of cars to his toddler days. Several times a week, she would take him to a coffee shop where he had a view of a four-way stop.
鈥淗e would watch cars go for an hour at a time,鈥� McCoy said. 鈥淎nd he got to know 鈥� even when he was first starting to speak 鈥� every car emblem. He鈥檚 just always loved cars.鈥�
He goes to every car show in the area, and sometimes trips up owners because he knows so much about their cars, his mom said.
Knapp-Fisher is also an animal lover and has been organizing a fundraising walk every September to collect money for the sa国际传媒 SPCA for the past 12 years, raising $35,000 for the animal welfare non-profit. His family says now it鈥檚 his turn to be on the receiving end, so this year, they鈥檒l be asking participants to donate to Knapp-Fisher鈥檚 trip.
鈥淓very year, I see stuff on Facebook about [the Las Vegas auto show] and on certain car websites. You just can鈥檛 escape it,鈥� Knapp-Fisher said. 鈥淎nd if you鈥檙e into vehicles, it鈥檚 the best place to go. It鈥檚 basically the best place in the world.鈥�
