Bonnie Bieganski just wants to get to work.

Her current ride is a 2003 Chevy Venture that has served her well for eight years, she says, but it's time for a new car and she's hoping Winnipeggers will help her buy one.

Bieganski, 33, hopes to raise enough money for a down payment on a fully accessible Savaria Side Entry Dodge Caravan, roughly $10,000.

Her current van has a lot of problems. For one, to stay reliable it needs a lot of work. The insurance company said it will not replace it if she gets into an accident. Bieganski also worries about getting stuck on the side of the road this winter.

"It would not take me very long to freeze because of being disabled and paralyzed as well," she said.

Driving is a privilege for most adults but for Bieganski it's a necessity. She has Larsen syndrome, a congenital disease that has dislocated all her joints and left her paralyzed and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. She works full time so Handi Transit isn't an option.

"I know that there a lot of issues with Handi-Transit as I hear from my friends who use it regularly," she said.

The main issue with the service is wait times. Bieganski works as a tenant development co-ordinator four days per week and cannot wait around for a pickup.

"When you're working eight hours a day, you kind of want to get home when your day is done at 4:30 and not have to wait until 5:30 or 6 at night," she said. Medical issues must be attended to after work as well. "So it's quite important that my schedule stays on schedule," said Bieganski.

Bieganski had to modify her current Chevrolet van herself to make way for her wheelchair.

"The ramp that I have for my van is a manual ramp so my attendant has to unfold it," she said.

The ramp itself is also quite steep because the floor of the vehicle is high.

"There has actually been a couple incidents where it's been kind of scary getting into my own vehicle," Bieganski said.

Her hope is to fundraise for a down payment to purchase a new vehicle that is designed for her needs and that will give her more autonomy. The Dodge van she's eyeing has a lower flow that makes getting into it a snap in her wheelchair.

"It's quite electronic, so the disabled driver or passenger can access the vehicle themselves, they can open the door, they can actually press a button to unfold the ramp," Bieganski said.

"That would be amazing, because I've never had that much independence with a vehicle."

Bieganski is holding a social to fundraise for the new van at Anavets Assiniboia, 3584 Portage Ave., on Saturday, Oct. 24.