By Galen Getz
My name is Galen, I am 23 years old and I have cerebral palsy.
Galen Getz with neighbor Mo Burnham
I dream passionately of travel, but have not had many opportunities, because of the difficulties of traveling with very limited mobility and an electric wheelchair.
My cousin Gigi has a form of muscular dystrophy, which greatly affects her abilities as well. She sometimes can walk with assistance and sometimes she uses a manual wheelchair.
She called me a couple of months ago and was very excited about an all-you-can-fly airline pass that she purchased.
I was telling her that I had been saving to try to take a cruise, but needed somebody that was willing to go with me. I told her that I was unsure how to get from place to place and she immediately said, “Let’s go! We will figure it out!”
As we talked about our ideas and started researching HOW we would accomplish our dreams, we realized that this was something that needed to be documented and available to people with limitations of their own.
We discussed how we could take trips and document our experiences and offer this information to people via social media … and Freedom Trippers was conceived!
Why do we need money?
- Corporation (foundation) paperwork & filing
- Phone and service
- Grips for recording from desks & wheelchairs
- GoPros & chest harness / accessories
- MacBook computer
- June 2025 trip! 7 nights Greece & Turkey cruise plus flights, taxis, hotels & accessible excursions for 4 people: my cousin and I, and 2 caregivers.
We have purchased the domain, created the website www.FreedomTrippers.org and are currently working on our social media pages and the paperwork required to start our foundation. We have put a downpayment on our first journey, 7 day Greek Islands and Turkey cruise, which sails June 2025.
My cousin and I both live on Social Security and we are investing our time and money into this project, but we could sure use some help!
If you would like to support us on our mission, please donate to our GoFundMe.
We really appreciate all the love and support and look forward to helping those people with limited physical abilities achieve their dreams of traveling!
Freedom Trippers website: https://freedomtrippers.org/
7 day Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise: https://tinyurl.com/Freedom-Trippers-first-trip
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Update from Aug. 5
Hello Everyone!
Galen and Gigi here, with the latest news about what is happening with Freedom Trippers and our fundraising efforts.
We were scheduled to go on a Celebrity Cruises Mediterranean Cruise this September, but life got in the way. Gigi had a medical problem and was advised by her doctors not to leave the country at this time.
We decided to postpone our cruise until next year. Luckily, we were able to transfer our deposit to another cruise. We are now scheduled to go on a 7-day cruise to the Greek islands in June of 2025. This is a long way off, but that means it gives us more time to plan, research shore excursions, and get all our freedom ducks in a row.
Thanks to all of you, we have raised $3,961! Additionally, we have been given $1,250 in donations from Galen’s neighbors and friends who were inspired by our story, for a total of $5,211.00!!!
With this money thus far, we have made a downpayment for 4 people (Gigi, Galen plus 2 aides) for Celebrity Cruises 7-day Greek Isles & Turkey cruise ($1,800) plus purchased accessible shore excursions for 2 ports (x4 people) – Mykonos in Greece and Ephesus in Turkey for a total of $507.92.
The rest of the funds are quietly waiting their turn for the cruise balance, airfare, more shore excursions and hotels when we first arrive and after the cruise ends. We will let you know how these funds get allocated as time passes.
The best news is that Gigi is doing much better now and hopefully everything will hold steady as we prepare for our first Freedom Trippers international journey.
We thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.
— Gigi and Galen, Freedom Trippers
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To support Galen & Gigi, see www.gofundme.com/f/freedom-trippers-mediterranean-cruise
Editor’s note: As of Oct. 22, the GoFundMe had reached more than 60% of the goal of $12,500.