By: Ashley Ritchie

If you look at Allan Duhaylonsod, you'll see what a father's love really looks like.

"My oldest son Balthazar, I'm really close to him," Allan said.

An American hero in the National Guard, Specialist Allan Duhaylonsod is an everyday hero for his family.

"My husband does help a lot with him, lifting him," Elaine Duhaylonsod, Allan's wife, said.

The Duhaylonsod home in Tulare is a busy one, with four teenagers, including 16-year-old Balthazar who has muscular dystrophy and relies on mom and dad for almost everything.

"My son never complains. He always has a smile on his face. And sometimes I feel bad when I complain or I'm having a bad day because he never complains," Elaine said.

The last 16 years have not been easy.

But with Allan set to deploy to Iraq in November, the Duhaylonsod's worry now it will be even harder.

"Sometimes I think, God, what if I drop him or things like that. Sometimes that runs through my mind," Elaine said.

Without a car that has a wheelchair lift, what should be simple trips to the doctor are overwhelming obstacles.

"At times, he's even heavy for me," Allan said.

The Duhaylonsod's would love to trade in their car, but say the cost of a used handicap accessible van is near $40,000.

Their story has already touched the community.

"It just broke my heart. I said a soldier's got to give up something to go defend our nation?" Steven Philhart, who's trying to help Allan's family, said.

"Knowing that she has means to transport him with a vehicle, with a ramp, it would be so much easier. And I won't really have to think about it as much," Allan said.

Balthazar goes to "Children's Hospital Central California" for many of his doctor's appointments.

And Elaine says, just transporting him to those can take up to an entire day if her husband isn't around to help her lift him.

TO HELP PLEASE CONTACT MARTHA BROWN (888)914-3267 ext 5