Julie Steward has always been fiercely independent.

She lives alone and said she often prefers solitude. And for more than 20 years, she was able to drive herself around Lawrence using a sophisticated computer system built into her Dodge Caravan, despite having what she calls a “severe physical disability” that is similar to muscular dystrophy.

Nearly a year and a half ago, however, the system that gave Steward the freedom she cherished failed to the point it was no longer safe to repair. Since then, she’s been working to raise the $115,000 it will take to equip a new vehicle with the right technology.

“Experiencing the kind of freedom that I never had in my life … I could take [the car] everywhere and I took it places alone,” she said. “That’s something that people in my position don’t ever have the opportunity to do.”

Two brothers based in Hutchinson fitted Steward’s car the first time while she coordinated the project with the Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation Department, which works to find employment and promote self-sufficiency for those with physical disabilities. However, Steward has since realized she needs a quieter lifestyle and is therefore no longer eligible to work with the department this time around.

The system in Steward’s Caravan used a joystick that controlled braking, accelerating and steering. The ability to control steering with the joystick is unique, and a part of what makes her system so expensive, she said. Other systems usually have a separate steering wheel that either the driver or a passenger can use to control the car.

Since her driving system failed, Steward said she’s been placed in an “intense financial situation” that has tripled the amount of stress in her life. She now has to coordinate with others to complete the daily activities — like grocery shopping and driving back and forth to church — that she used to do on her own.

“My car has been incredibly important for me — being able to maintain life and to try and move in a positive way forward with my life, in whatever way God would have me do that,” she said.

Steward’s friends and family created a GoFundMe page called “Keep Julie Mobile” shortly after the system failed. It has raised $22,285 in 13 months — something Steward is proud of, but said she still recognizes the work left to be done to regain her mobility.

Beth Pavisian, who works with Steward on her fundraising efforts, said seeing Steward regain access to a vehicle would be a dream come true.

“Being involved with the KJM team has been a gift. Seeing Julie’s determination, positivity, and creativity in the midst of trying situations is truly incredible,” she said. “To see her regain mobility through a vehicle would be pure joy — it would mean Julie has access to the community, freedom and independence, like so many of us are able to enjoy.”

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Steward is soft-spoken, but deliberate in her diction. She speaks matter-of-factly — and positively — about the often trying efforts of raising a significant amount of money.

She chuckles when remembering how she expected the funds to come in “almost overnight” because of the vast reach of social media.

But once she realized that wasn’t going to be the case, she began thinking outside of the box to find new fundraising avenues. In January, Steward and a friend traveled to the Kansas City Royals’ 2018 FanFest event in attempt to get her story in front of popular players Ian Kennedy, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon.

“[Perez] stood up, tall and in a really strong voice he shouted back to me, ‘You need help?’ He says to me, ‘We’ll talk, you and me, we’ll talk,’ and kind of left it at that,” Steward said. “That was one of the avenues I was going with in visiting with the Royals; I wanted to share that as well and hopefully open a door for something where God can use this to be a consistent voice for people that maybe don’t have a consistent voice in their lives.”

Steward and her Keep Julie Mobile fundraising team have also worked with Kansas basketball coach Bill Self and Kansas Athletics. Steward said she approached Self at one of his weekly “Hawk Talk” programs held at the Salty Iguana. He remembered Steward from a “Hawk Talk” she’d attended while her car still worked and quickly offered her donated items — a signed basketball and a pair of tickets to a nonconference game — for a fundraising dinner and silent auction in November.

“Those became the hottest items of the night for the fundraising dinner,” she said. “There was a lot of support for putting it all together and hoping to make it a success … Because everything was donated, we made somewhere around $1,700 that night.”

In addition to outreach with local athletic programs, Steward said she has also become acquainted with a woman who works in grant proposals in the hope that she can raise the remainder of the money quicker.

“I do feel some physical effect from not having driven for the last 15 months or so,” she said. “I’m really hopeful to be able to get back to doing that soon so my physical health can also benefit.”

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Jim and Linda Lewis first became acquainted with Steward nearly 25 years ago when Jim delivered her groceries from the Checkers franchise they owned. From there, their friendship blossomed into a mutual admiration.

“Julie is a great, inspirational person that somebody with her condition has the gumption to push forward and want to be independent,” Jim said. “I think she can be a great inspiration for a lot of people. There are a lot of people in the world that feel sorry for themselves and they sit there and do nothing. Julie doesn’t. She tries to do something.”

For Linda, Steward’s overwhelming positivity in the face of adversity is what stands out to her the most.

“I have always been amazed that Julie is always upbeat. She always has a smile on her face,” she said. “I feel like she’s never mentioned it, but I’m sure there’s some discomfort associated with everything she goes through, but you would never know it. She internalizes it, and out of that comes a very strong Christian.”

In addition to fundraising efforts, another important aspect of Steward’s life and spirituality is a weekly email newsletter she produces called The Weekly Encouragement. For the past four years, she’s collected hundreds of email addresses and built an audience she estimates is in the thousands.

“Part of my dream is to share this with people and be a consistent voice into their lives and open up doors for them to grow closer to God and to be touched by something that’s really special,” she said.

All things considered, Steward knows she still has work to do to raise the rest of the money she needs. But at the same time, she said she hopes her story is about more than just a financial need.

“The fundraiser is kind of about a car, but it’s also a lot more than that to me,” she said. “I always hoped it was about a lot more than just money. But definitely, that’s kind of where it has to be right now. My hope is that my fundraising campaign is an avenue that can touch people’s hearts.”