As most people may know my mother was involved in a pedestrian crash in 2010, which tragically landed her as a paraplegic. As hard as the battles have been for her over the last 10 years, with her strength ,courage, and an unimaginable fight , she has discovered a new sense of purpose. She still loves to work in her yard all day long,and is very independent. She cooks and cleans, and has the most beautifully decorated home. However, what she lost a long time ago was her sense of independence. So with that, is where this all falls into place. She had decided to start a driving course that comes from Christiana, Delaware which they come to her home and taught her how to drive mechanically with her hands. She passed her driving test with flying colors !We were so excited for her as she just did this for herself and her own journey. So now we are asking anyone who wants to help her and her journey of driving and an even more sense of independence to donate to the cost of her specialized vehicle. A Specialized handicapped van vehicle costs much more than a regular van as it has to be equipped with all the necessary devices for her to drive. Anyone who knows my mother knows how independent wonderful, beautiful strong she is and as excited as I am, I hope everyone can be excited and help her to raise some money for a down payment for this type of vehicle. She’s so motivated and she’s driven many times but the sense of her having all of her independence back now would be such a blessing . Thank you for your any help you can provide . Any questions please let me know, I appreciate all of your prayers along the way for her and anyone who knows our journey knows this is an extremely proud accomplishment and very, very very deserving. Thank you so much.

A letter from my mother ….

“If there was one word to describe myself, it would be strong. My injury has made me realize that the only direction I can look is forward, and I make sure to apply that in every aspect of my life. Prior to my injury I was an independent and an always on the go mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. I worked at my local courthouse and loved every minute of it. I was on the road to a promotion to Deputy and then on September 10th, 2016, everything changed. I sustained a spinal cord injury at level C6-C7 after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the street, losing movement and sensation from my waist down.

After spending months in and out of the hospital with numerous complications, I was finally able to go back home. If there's one thing that I believe everyone, in a similar situation as me, can relate to is having to adapt and overcome. You'd be surprised at how many accommodations have to be made to your house, vehicle, and to your life in order to make everyday easier and more accessible. Although I have reclaimed a lot of my independence and still am working on it everyday, I still encounter some limitations. I hope that with some of your help , I’ll be able to get the necessary funds to be able to purchase a vehicle to give me more freedom and a more sense of self . Thank you all who can help. Love always , Sandra Long ❤️”

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