Max & Nicole riding high on Wheels of Hope

By Tom Peterson

“I give it a 10 out of 10,” said six-year-old Max Dollarhide. “It’s cool.”

Max, a first-grader at Sherman County School, was crawling through and inspecting a 2011 Nissan Versa at Ray Schultens Motors in The Dalles on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Max Dollarhide, 6, is all smiles in his Wheels of Hope

His mom, Nicole, was on the other side of the car crying.

She had just been given the car through Wheels of Hope, which provides cars to families who are struggling. Multiple local businesses and nonprofits support the program including Schultens and Crestline Construction and Bicoastal Media.
Nicole Dollarhide of Wasco was nominated by Max’s Kindergarten Teacher Ashley Macnab at Sherman County School. 

“I could not be more grateful,” Nicole said, noting the medical bills are piling up for her son.

Nicole and Max and his four siblings live in Wasco.

The car could not have come at a better time.

Max has three areas of obstruction in his esophagus, kind of like speed bumps in what should be a flat straight road, Nicole wrote on his Facebook page Mighty Max Fights.  He has 5 areas of obstruction in his digestive system as a whole. It makes eating and drinking very difficult and has required several surgeries.

“Max has a huge surgery coming up in Boston, and his family could definitely use this car to get them to and from appointments. And it is also a way to lift their spirits,” Macnab wrote in her nomination application.  

Nicole said they have been driving Max to see doctors for years and have plans for a surgery in Boston in several days. 

To make matters more difficult, her vehicle, a 2003 Yukon with 350,000 miles, is no longer trustworthy for long drives.

The Nissan will now provide the family with a safe and more economical means of transportation.

“This is awesome,” Nicole said.