A West Kelowna family is fundraising to buy a new van for their daughter who was born with cerebral palsy, but they still have a long way to go.

“We currently drive an SUV and we physically pick her up and load her into her car seat and then we lift her wheelchair into the back… It’s quite cumbersome and as she gets bigger and heavier it’s not really going to be possible moving forward,” said Teresa Culbert, Mia’s mother.

The quote for the vehicle the Culbert family needs exceeds well over $100,000, and with inflation and the current cost of living in B.C., that price point is just too steep.

Mia already needs a variety of different equipment on a day to day basis, including a specialized beanbag chair, a wheel chair, a standing frame and a bathtub chair, so things quickly add up.

"Mia is fully dependent,” said Teresa.

“We need to make at least four trips a year down to the coast to BC Children’s Hospital and to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice where she receives medical care and treatment, so we need something that’s reliable and is going to work for her moving forward as she gets older.”

Following the success of their first fundraiser that collected $13,000 back in January, the family is hosting another one next month at Grizzli Winery in hopes of reaching their goal of $108,000.

“It’s an art event, so we are going to have some artists there live painting and selling their artwork. We have had a lot of paintings donated for our auction and lots of other items from local businesses. There’s also going to be a kids' area where there will be a magician and a movie," said Teresa.

The fundraiser at Grizzli Winery is taking place on March 9 from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., with a ton of awesome items up for grabs, including concert tickets, three night staycation packages, artworks and more.

The Culbert family has also set up a website for online donations, and people interested in making a donation can head to www.MiasRide.ca to donate.