Suvudu Universe

Star Wars fan and blogger Dion Detterer of Star Wars Always needs your help! Dion was a guest on The Kessel Run, an 8-hour podcasting charity event to help support Rancho Obi-Wan and Operation Paperback, where he spoke about his experience on the set of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Dion has muscular dystrophy, and due to his condition, he requires a customized vehicle for transportation. Many Republic credits are needed to acquire the vehicle, and fortunately, he has the Star Wars community at his side. Now more than ever, this is the time to spread the word and use your powers of good to help Dion out!

What I really love about the Star Wars fan community is how we all come together to do acts of good. From the charitable efforts of the 501st Legion to the donations on “Wear Star Wars, Share Star Wars Day,” this is your chance to help a fellow Star Wars fan!

- DONATE HERE -

My name is Dion Detterer. I have muscular dystrophy, so I use a wheelchair. I also use a ventilator 24/7.

The van I use for transportation isn’t working any more. Last year it failed while I was evacuating during the October bushfires, and recently it died in 40 degree heat while I was coming home from a hospital visit. I was in extreme heat for over three hours, trying to figure out how to get home. In addition, a truck almost wiped me off the road while we were stopped on the side of the M4 motorway–not an ideal scenario.

I need a van I can use to get around where I don’t risk killing myself, my carers or my loved ones, either through heat exhaustion, dehydration or an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

I need to go to medical appointments, community functions and events for my university research. I’m a PhD student, and my research will help the scientific community discover the genetic basis of common diseases; if I had a working van, I’d find it easier to engage with other researchers–something I can’t do physically right now.

I’ve known for a while that the van I have now is not safe for me to travel in, especially in the heat, but I simply have not been able to afford to replace it. It’s now 16 years old–I’ve spent years already trying to get this problem fixed, and for a while there, it was doing OK. Now, however, the problem has returned, worse than ever. It’s obviously a recurring fault that will not go away.

That’s why I’m asking the wider community for help.

The money raised will be used to buy a new van and outfit it with the necessary modifications for wheelchair access and travel, in order to give me the freedom others take for granted.

I hope you’ll be able to help me achieve my goal.

- DONATE HERE -