The Vantasy Project was created in the summer 2022 by Chris Byrd. Chris is a father of twins with a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. When the family received the diagnosis, many different thoughts and concerns swirled around. While learning about the condition it became evident that an accessible van was going to be a necessity.
Scouring the internet back in about 2008, Chris noticed there was little to no financial assistance offered to families for arguably one of the most expensive items a family will ever have to acquire. Most equipment is either covered by insurance or can be provided to families by fantastic organizations such as the MDA or CureSMA.
Vans, however, do not fall into any category covered by insurance so families are left trying to figure out a way to buy a van and then have it converted for accessibility. There is no 2 for 1 deal out there. You must buy the van and then get the conversion completed. There are organizations out there who will sell fully converted vans, but they do not come cheap.
Back to the internet scouring. Chris searched to find that there were and are grants available. The problem is they are mostly capped at about the $1,500 range. While I doubt any family would decline that grant, it barely makes a dent when the van costs upwards of $50,000. For example, at the time of writing this section, a used 2020 converted Dodge Caravan was $46,000.
The unmet need for financial support for families already struggling with a life-changing diagnosis is as evident now as it was back in 2008.
The primary focus of The Vantasy Project will be providing financial assistance to families with children having neuromuscular diseases who are in need of accessible transportation.
Board of Directors
Chris Byrd
Chris is the founder of The Vantasy Project and one of their current Directors. As you’ve learned in the “About” section, Chris is a special needs dad who knows the struggle of finding adequate transportation for his children first-hand. Chris has spent the last 26 years in clinical research with Pharma and Biotechs. Over the last 14 years, Chris and the whole Byrd family has worked with various non-profits such as CureSMA, the MDA and Make-A-Wish. In his downtime, Chris enjoys supporting his beloved sports teams, his Mississippi State Bulldogs, Chelsea Football Club and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Guy Saenger
A computer engineering graduate of Mississippi State University, Guy currently serves in executive leadership at Infogain and heads the “Internet of Things” (IoT) Practice. With over 30 years of experience, Guy has been instrumental in growing multiple startup businesses, transitioning engineering teams during acquisitions and leading all aspects of technical operations. Guy lives in the Dallas area with his wife and is the father of three college-aged sons.
Cyrus Martinez
Originally from New Mexico, Cyrus is currently Associate General Counsel for Banner Health, where he provides day-to-day counsel to all levels of executive staff and assures legal compliance with the panoply of federal and state employment and labor laws. Cyrus lives in Phoenix with his wife and three sons.
Joe Spano
Joe Spano resides in Tempe, AZ and is a current Director with the Vantasy Project who graduated from Wittenberg University located in Springfield, OH with a Bachelor Arts in Business with a concentration in Accounting. Joe currently serves as the Director of Sales for Source Direct Imports a leading manufacturing and engineering firm that caters to the hospitality industry. Joe was recently married in May of 2022 to his wife Britt. In his downtime, Joe enjoys CrossFit along with the outdoors whether it’s hiking, fishing or hunting along with supporting his beloved sports teams the Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines and the Chelsea Football Club.