Sunday, May 27, 2001
Big winners, but with a catch
By Greta Hale
Staff Writer
A Toledo woman won a handicap-accessible van from the "Live with Regis and Kelly" show. But, there's a catch.
Carrie Gangluff is worried about how her single income household is going to pay the estimated $12,000 in taxes on the $43,000 van, equipped with an electric wheelchair lift.
Todd Gangluff, Carrie's husband, who works at a plating shop in Toledo, wishes the show would pay the taxes. "They're a multi-million dollar corporation," he said. He also agreed that the show receives a lot of positive publicity but it probably got the van for free from General Motors Corp., one of the show's sponsors.
Carrie Gangluff was surprised with news of the van on the May 11 Mother's Day special. She was overjoyed to hear about the 2001 GM Savannah that would be used to transport her 9-year-old daughter, Heaven. Heaven was born 12 weeks premature, has mental retardation, cerebral palsy, is blind and deaf and has the mental capacity of a 3-month-old baby. The Gangluffs will receive the van by mid-June.
Carrie Gangluff is currently driving a '91 Dodge Caravan, which is slowly breaking down. The wheelchair lift is broken, the car smokes, the back door won't stay open without someone holding it and Heaven almost scrapes her head on the ceiling of the van because she has grown too tall for it.
Carrie Gangluff stays home to take care of Heaven and her other daughter, Kaylyann, a 9-month-old. She also took six credit hours at Owens Community College towards a degree in nursing.
To try to raise the tax money, Todd Gangluff's grandfather, Charles Zimmerman, 78 N. SR 101, has opened a savings account locally at Old Fort Bank in Carrie Gangluff's name. He is originally from Old Fort. There are branches of the bank in Fremont, Green Springs, Bettsville, Fostoria, Old Fort and two in Tiffin. There is also a savings account for Heaven at the Charter One Bank in Toledo. People have donated $150 so far.
Doctors didn't expect Heaven to live longer than six months. They wanted the Gangluffs to put Heaven in an extended care facility when she was born, but Carrie Gangluff knew she wanted to take care of Heaven at home. A nurse helps her Tuesdays through Fridays.
It's a challenge for Carrie Gangluff to take care of Heaven. Giving Heaven baths is difficult and Carrie has to carry Heaven from inside the house out to the wheelchair because their house doesn't have a ramp. She has to change Heaven's diapers and dress her. Taking care of Heaven is similar to taking care of an infant, Gangluff said.
Gangluff's lifelong best friend, Tarra Logston, nominated Gangluff by writing a letter to the "Regis" show. Logston told Gangluff that she had won a free trip for two to New York through clubmom.com. That was a cover up.
Gangluff didn't know her family was there until Regis asked her where her family was. She told them in Toledo and Kelly said she was wrong about that. Then Heaven was brought out on stage.