Help Melissa Keep Spreading Joy with Onyx

SHERRY MCGRATH ORGANIZING FUNDRAISER

ON BEHALF OF MELISSA FRANSEN

Hello, my name is Sherry McGrath, and I am asking for contributions for my friend, Melissa Fransen, who I met several months ago. I had decided to volunteer my time to Heart to Heart, a wonderful, not-for-profit organization that provides therapy animal visits to hospitals, schools, and long term care facilities. Heart to Heart is a community group of an international organization called Pet Partners. There is extensive training for volunteers and animals. I met Melissa at our training center, Island Dog, going through the training process with her beautiful black lab, Onyx. Melissa is an amputee and the first in the national organization to be trained in a wheelchair.

Due to injuries sustained in a car accident several years ago, she has had to endure 21 surgeries and 2 knee replacements. In order to save her life after developing septsis, her left leg was amputated above the knee. Prior to her accident, she was a nationally certified surgical technologist and director of a surgical technology program at a college in New Jersey. That's right, she's a Jersey Girl, so she's a tough gal. LOL

In 2014, she received a handicap conversion van allowing her to be mobile again. Always being fiercly independant, this allowed Melissa to be of service to others and her community, which included raising money for those in need. She and her lovely husband, Jim, dress as Mr. and Mrs. Claus and give gifts to needy children at Christmas time, also answering letters from "Santa" to the kids who place letters in her Santa Box. And in the summer, she mows her neighbor's grass. They are both very commuity active and involved.

In 2022, Melissa and Onyx began Heart to Heart training to become a therapy team, which was a long held dream. After completing my training, I became their happy assistant. We visit a long term care facility with in-room private visits and those in need of a little cheer. And cheer it does, as some have had to leave their pets behind, and are so very grateful for the visit. The comments made by the residents, include: "this is the first time I've smiled all day", "your visit meant the world to me", and "I did not want company until I saw it was Onyx". We take pictures of Onyx's interaction with the residents and Melissa prints the copy to bring to the next visit and creates a cherished photo album of their smiling, happy faces at play.

SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED.

After completing our visit on August 20, 2024, we went our separate ways and thank goodness, Melissa had taken Onyx home before going to her Dr.'s visit. She was hit head-on by an unlicensed and uninsured motorist who ran a redlight. The van was a total loss with a broken axle and frontal damage. The van was equipped to accomodate her handicap, in that, with a click of a button, the side door opens and out slides a ramp. She drives her motorized wheelchair up the ramp, a button pressed turns her driver's seat around, and she transfers herself to the front seat . . . and voila! She's ready to go.

The loss of her van has been devastating, as she cannot transport her motorized wheelchair any other way. Melissa independantly goes to Dr. appointments, therapy, grocery shopping, therapy dog volunteer work, errands, and a myraid of other activity she is involved in. Her physical therapist has encouraged her to become a motivational speaker for other amputees, as she managed to do just that from the time she started her therapy after her amputation. She was very excited for the opportunity about to begin when the accident occurred.

But so determined was she after the loss of her van, to continue her volunteer therapy work, she and her husband rented a Uhaul to transport her motorized chair to the facility to visit the residents. And by the way, the monthly rental of a conversion van is $150.00 PER DAY!

So, I vote we get this gal back on the road to continue doing her good deeds! I'm hoping we can accumulate enough funds for the purchase of a new van, or enough for a conversion of a van for my friend, and friend to all, Melissa Fransen. She is such a blessing to so many.

Thank you!

p.s.- By the way, I had to make her let me do this. LOL