Man Who Suffers From Spina Bifida Gets a Gift of Independence
By: Jessica Reyes
Updated: January 23, 2013
HAGERSTOWN, MD - He's been depending on his wheelchair all his life. Michael Shockley says he was born with spina bifida, a birth defect affecting the spine.
"I was blessed I was able to work and do many things until three years ago," says Shockley. "I had an accident and now there's not much feeling in my legs at all."
But after his wheelchair stopped working, Shockley says he reached out to several organizations but they all turned him away.
"I couldn't leave my home no more than 30 feet," says Shockley. "I couldn't go to the community bus to go get food for myself."
Days later, Shockley says he received an unexpected phone call offering to repair his wheelchair, absolutely free.
"People just turned him away because they weren't going to get paid. It's about the bottom dollar for most people," says Larry Wegner, president of Family Care Home Medical Equipment. "We decided that wasn't going to be us and we would try to help out as much as we can no matter who it is."
"People just don't do that if you don't have the insurance or the cash, people just don't do this," said Shockley.
Shockley says he couldn't afford to have his wheelchair repaired, but for Family Care Home Medical Equipment it didn't matter.
"From the very beginning we decided that we were going to help the community, reason being that so many of these other businesses they didn't care about the patient whatsoever," says Wegner.
"I'm very thankful to them and for what they did because they gave me back my independence," says Shockley.
Shockley now has several batteries and a charger, a gift from home medical equipment.
"I was blessed I was able to work and do many things until three years ago," says Shockley. "I had an accident and now there's not much feeling in my legs at all."
But after his wheelchair stopped working, Shockley says he reached out to several organizations but they all turned him away.
"I couldn't leave my home no more than 30 feet," says Shockley. "I couldn't go to the community bus to go get food for myself."
Days later, Shockley says he received an unexpected phone call offering to repair his wheelchair, absolutely free.
"People just turned him away because they weren't going to get paid. It's about the bottom dollar for most people," says Larry Wegner, president of Family Care Home Medical Equipment. "We decided that wasn't going to be us and we would try to help out as much as we can no matter who it is."
"People just don't do that if you don't have the insurance or the cash, people just don't do this," said Shockley.
Shockley says he couldn't afford to have his wheelchair repaired, but for Family Care Home Medical Equipment it didn't matter.
"From the very beginning we decided that we were going to help the community, reason being that so many of these other businesses they didn't care about the patient whatsoever," says Wegner.
"I'm very thankful to them and for what they did because they gave me back my independence," says Shockley.
Shockley now has several batteries and a charger, a gift from home medical equipment.
