There isn’t much to say about a twenty-seven-year-old Dodge van.  It wouldn’t be considered a true classic or collector car by most people.  Rarity is not in its favor as millions were made through the early 2000s when it fell out of favor and was replaced by the Sprinter.  Once the choice of the custom van movement of the 1970s, its utilitarian beginnings made them nearly disposable once they served their purpose.

But this particular van, the “Chick Magnet”, serves an entirely different purpose and is a representation of all the things that one hopes and believes about love, sacrifice and the good in people.  It also, unfortunately, represents what happens when bad things happen to good people.

This particular Dodge van carries important cargo as it is an adapted van used for transporting wheel chair-bound individuals.   The individual in question is Ryan Diviney who, until November 7, 2009, was a healthy and athletic student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.  That is until he was brutally beaten by a group of individuals in a senseless attack that has left Ryan in a coma-like state, unable to move or function on his own.  Ryan’s father, Ken Diviney, now cares for him full-time, having quit his job to devote all his time to Ryan’s care.

After nearly 4 months in multiple hospitals, including Sheperd Center here in Atlanta, GA, Ken and Sue Diviney, along with daughter Kari, brought Ryan home to Ashburn, VA to begin the care and rehabilitation process that one day will lead to his recovery.  Ken has sacrificed his time and career to become Ryan’s full-time caregiver, advocate and voice.  Through his blog, www.ryansrally.org, Ken details the events that surround the care and advocacy for Ryan that has become his 24/7 occupation.  The love of a father for his son is no more evident than the expressions displayed in the daily writings from Ken.

Some days the strain of the daily grind and monotony of the care-giving process is reflected in the blog posts, like this one from November, 2011 where Ken writes: “I’m feeling a bit glum lately. Now I know why. It just feels like so many things are falling apart.”  Other times the playfulness, whether driven by manic expression or the boredom of the repetition, comes out in Ken.  “It makes me wonder why people would even consider braving Black Friday, other than the rush of getting maced, tasered, or stampeded.  Okay, so maybe there is a thrill to taking down a grandpa to get that X-Box? Unless, you’re the grandpa, that is.” 

Most of the time, Ken writes about his favorite subject; Ryan.  The true feelings of father and son are always evident in the blog and the extremes that Ken goes to in providing the very best care possible for his son.  Recently the lower level of the family’s home has been converted into a dedicated care-giving space for Ryan.  Complete with living quarters, the space also houses the multitude of equipment and supplies needed to give Ryan a care level equal to or better than any rehabilitation hospital anywhere in the country.  The latest addition is a custom kitchenette, capable of keeping both Ken and Ryan fueled and ready to get to their daily duties.

Ken’s latest project is a concrete patio and ramps to allow Ryan to be moved outside on nice days and also to provide access for the “Chick Magnet” to transport Ryan to his many doctors’ appointments.  Ken makes sure that Ryan regularly visits an eye doctor as well as a dentist to keep him in top shape.  The hope that he will one day fully recover keeps Ken motivated and also provides direction in the care regimen for Ryan.  Nothing is left to chance and nothing is denied in the care process.    

This brings us back to the “Chick Magnet”, the wheels that will propel Ryan and Ken into the days ahead. A method to keep treatment appointments and one day just to be out on the road, father and son sharing some time together, watching a once familiar world pass through the windshield.  A world that has changed drastically for Ken and Ryan over the last two years, but a world that is also full of hope, love and support.  Not only from Ken, but also from the hundreds of people who keep in touch with the family, helping as they can to make a difficult situation the best possible. 

The “Chick Magnet” is just one example of how total strangers have come to support Ken and Ryan.  The van was donated by an individual who no longer needed it, but saw that it would be a big help to Ken and Ryan.  After some minor rehabilitation of its own, the “Chick Magnet” is now ready for use and aiding Ryan in becoming as mobile as possible.  One may view this as Ken’s desire to provide Ryan with things that are familiar from his previous experience, offering a kind of stimulation that isn’t detailed in the therapy plans.  Riding around in the “Chick Magnet” is sure to be the kind of thing Ken wants for Ryan, both now and in the future.

“I love the Chick Magnet,” writes Ken. “It’s a van with strong emotion and memory attached to it. I love it’s long, dedicated history. I appreciate the kindness of this van being given to us. I admire its strength in surviving all these twenty-five plus years.”  It sounds like the “Chick Magnet” and Ken have a lot in common.