"Help Me Thrive: Reclaim My Joy!"

Hello everyone, my name is Arlene and my life changed on September 23, 2015. It was like any other normal day. I was doing chores around my home as I was waiting for a furniture delivery. Little did I know it would be the last day I would stand on my own 2 feet. As I heard the doorbell, I stumbled as I made my way towards the door. The fall occurred due to having prior symptoms of sciatica, which causes lower back and leg pain, mobility issues, and neuropathy. Unable to open my door, I called out for help. I was then rushed to the hospital where I underwent a 6-hour emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on my spinal column.

This unfortunate accident caused me to endure a spinal cord injury that caused the compression of my t7, t8, and t9 vertebrae of the thoracic part of my spine. The severe injury caused me to instantly experience paralysis in my lower limbs. Six months later, I had to undergo another surgery. Since then, there have been many positive steps forward. I’ve regained about 75% of strength and sensation in my legs. I still have a long journey towards full recovery but I look forward to the progress I make every day.

I’ve gathered the courage to create this account to share my story because there are financial roadblocks that stop me from having a decent quality of life which creates limits on the simplest things. For some, it’s walking to the nearest store for groceries, driving to work, or picking up their kids from school. For me, it’s making it to my doctor appointments and physical therapy sessions, and having a way to get to my nearest hospital when I am in extreme pain. Those tasks are crucial to my well-being and my recovery which I struggle to achieve on a daily basis because I do not have a reliable source of transportation. A wheelchair-accessible vehicle would help me not to worry every day about how I would make it to those appointments. This type of vehicle is designed to help people like me who are unable to walk. It’s a necessity since I’ll be able to ride in a car without needing anyone to assist me from the wheelchair to the car seat. I have been in a wheelchair for 8 years now so this vehicle will make it possible for me to continue to strive for each milestone in my journey.

Even though my life has changed, I have always been hard-working and always been there for anyone who needed me as much as I could. I am a fighter and even though sometimes I feel down, I’ve vowed to my family, my closest friends, and myself to never give up.

Thank you for letting me share this moment with you all and truly hope you all understand how precious life is. Please help me gain a little bit of peace of mind and normalcy in mine.

Sincerely,

Arlene Rose