To open the world of opportunity to her sons, Brendan, 9 and Declan, 5, Tracy McGinnis entered the Local Heroes contest, hoping to win a handicap accessible van.

McGinnis, whose son, Brendan, has severe cerebral palsy, and is in a wheelchair, owns an older minivan that is not handicap accessible. To go on outings, which is infrequent for the family, McGinnis carries her 80-pound, nearly five-foot tall son to his special needs car seat, and places his wheelchair in the back of her van.

But after developing Rheumatoid Arthritis in her hands and a degenerative disk disease in her lower back, not having a wheelchair-accessible van has made day-to-day mobility increasingly difficult.

“The van I have is not only old, with lights on the dash going off, but the windshield has cracks and I can’t afford to get it fixed,” McGinnis said. “We have to continue to be homebound, and that’s just not fair to them (her sons).”

The Local Heroes contest, which is sponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA), is a national voting contest held through May 9, for individuals who need a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Following the voting, a committee will look at the top 10 percent of vote recipients and give away three, brand-new, wheelchair accessible vehicles valued at $50,000.

“A wheelchair van enables him (Brendan) to ride in his wheelchair, and that would be such a godsend,” McGinnis said. “The world would be open back up for both of the boys and I wouldn’t hesitate to say ‘Hey, let’s go here or there, or let’s just go for a drive.’”

Last year, McGinnis began fundraising for a used, 2011 wheelchair accessible Dodge van, but after losing her home to toxic mold and asbestos contamination, the funds were depleted, making this contest one of the only options left to the family. Since that time, Brendan’s health has weakened and he’s gotten a new, custom wheelchair which is heavier and more difficult for McGinnis to move in and out of her van.

“I hate asking for help,” McGinnis said, “Sometimes you just have to set your pride aside and ask for it; it would be great to see all of Arvada behind him.”

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus affecting individuals of all ages. When contracted through pregnancy, the virus can cause serious defects in the fetus. For Brendan, the virus was contracted through the brain development stage of McGinnis’s pregnancy, resulting in static brain damage, cerebral palsy and lung disease. Brendan also is deaf in one ear, is nonverbal, and has uncontrollable seizures.

Individuals can vote for Brendan daily through May 9 via www.bit.ly/vote4Brendan. The winners will be announced in May.