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Elijah Garcia, 13, was born with arthogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition that affects the joints.

He's had 13 surgeries in his life so far and cannot stand or walk without assistance.

"He doesn’t have a lot of muscle tissue in his arms and legs, so Elijah has been unable to walk," said Natalie Quintero, Garcia's grandmother.

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She said she started a campaign to help pay for a consultation at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute. That's when she received news that life-changing surgeries were possible.

"They said there are surgeries they can do that would transplant muscle from his back to his arm so that Elijah would be able to bend his arms and actually lift a fork instead of having to bend to the table," Quintero said.

"I’d also be able to show muscles," Garcia said.

She said, however, the four surgeries would cost about $750,000. Additionally, Garcia's wheelchair hasn't been working, and loved ones have been working on trying to secure additional funds to help make this purchase possible.

Quintero said Garcia does not have private insurance, and so that makes it significantly more difficult financially.

That's when Garcia's teacher, Amanda Caffrey, jumped in with a fundraiser, “A New Set of Wheels for Elijah."

"He has a personality that cannot be matched by anyone. So, we kind of wanted to do whatever we could to help his family, especially during the holiday season," Caffrey, an Exceptional Student Education coordinator at South Tech Preparatory Academy, told WPBF 25 News.

"He’s such a wonderful, wonderful human being. And his major concerns have never been for himself," Quintero said.

Garcia's favorite hobbies are playing video games as well as Beyblades. He also said he enjoys learning about science and hopes to become an engineer or chef one day.

Friends and family hope the community can pitch in and help make the surgeries and wheelchair possible.

"I can really be able to stand up and be like how everybody is in this room right now," Garcia said.

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"Why should he have to go through so much struggle when there are things available that would change his life? And that was the catalyst for me," Quintero said. "It would mean everything to us, I mean it has been my passion to push forward to get him what he needs."

Garcia said he is grateful for everything his grandmother has done for him in his life.

"I love my grandma very much. Basically, without her, I wouldn’t really have the chairs and stuff that I do now," he said.

If you'd like to help, you can donate through Cash App at $wheelsforEG.

You can also send donations to the Elijah Garcia Special Needs Trust. C/0 Natalie Quintero, Trustee, PO Box 6932, Delray Beach, FL 33482

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