GoFundMe Campaign: Handicapped Van for Gulf War Navy Flyer

A Warminster father of six has started a GoFundMe campaign for his youngest son—a retired Gulf War Navy Flyer in need of a handicapped van. 

John Winkler, 87, who lives in a senior retirement community started the online campaign for his son, Thomas J. Winkler, in hopes of raising $35,000 for a used van. So far, $11,000 has been raised.

Tom Winkler lives in Pensacola, Fla., with his wife and daughter.

He served in a U.S. Navy Air Squadron for two tours in the Persian Gulf area during Gulf War 1, Operation Desert Storm and aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy CV-76, according to the online post. During his years of flight action, he had symptoms of neurological problems, and subsequently, he developed two neurological diseases, Transverse Myelitis and Multiple Scleroses, the post says.

"Tom now suffers a lot from paralysis, and the pains of MS and is handicapped and cannot walk," John Winkler writes. "He went from flying in Navy Jets to "flying" an electric scooter."

Currently his son uses an old van that has more than 260,000 miles and is prone to mechanical failures, the post says. 

These is just a few of the many local fundraising campaigns hosted on GoFundMe, a Patch partner.