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Lynn Gonzales
Media Relations
The SCOOTER Store
(830) 626-4064
Paralyzed Pennsylvania Teenager Regains Hope and Mobility With Special Gift From The SCOOTER Store
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St. Mary's, PA, June 21, 2007— Brittany Simbeck, 19, was a high school senior who never sat still. She competed onthe swim team, worked part-time as a waitress and helped her single mother raise her younger brother. But six months ago she was almost killed in a car accident that left her paralyzed on one side. Her struggle prompted The SCOOTER Store to donate a power wheelchair to Brittany so she could get back on the move.
Today, Matthew Philips, manager of The SCOOTER Store Distribution Center in Cranberry Township, delivered a Pride Jazzy Select power wheelchair to Brittany and her family. The SCOOTER Store worked with the National Chronic Pain Society to make the donation possible.
"We are so honored to be helping this brave, young woman regain some of her freedom and independence," said Doug Harrison, CEO and Founder of The SCOOTER Store. "She has suffered through so much pain and agony. It is our sincere hope that this power wheelchair will improve her quality of life."
For Brittany, the ordeal began back in December. She was being driven to work when the car she was riding in crashed in a wooded area. The driver fled the scene with her purse and cell phone, but was later captured. Brittany was trapped inside the car; rescue teams arrived in time to save her life, but she was badly injured. Her young body was crushed and she required several major surgeries to organs. After three months of intensive care and another two months in a local hospital, Brittany finally went home.
Unfortunately, the accident left Brittany paralyzed on her left side, rendering her unable to walk. She tried repeatedly to maneuver a manual wheelchair, but couldn't. Her grandmother, Karen Erich, said it broke relatives' hearts to see Brittany frustrated in her dogged attempts to regain some mobility and independence. Even worse, Brittany saw herself as a burden on the family and was falling into depression.
The dire situation changed for the better only when Brittany learned she would receive a power wheelchair and be able regain the ability to get around independently.
The scenario that brought Brittany a power wheelchair began when Ms. Erich contacted The SCOOTER Store to see if the family could possibly obtain a power wheelchair. Mrs. Erich was doubtful since Brittany's insurance coverage was exhausted during the five-month hospital stay, and the family could not afford to buy one. But she knew how much Brittany needed to regain her mobility, so she wrote an emotional letter to The SCOOTER Store, explaining her granddaughter's unfortunate situation.
In response, The SCOOTER Store qualified Brittany for their Gift of Mobility program, which helps people with limited resources obtain power wheelchairs or scooters. A grateful Mrs. Erich now praises The SCOOTER Store's representatives as "the best people I know" and says she "could not thank anybody more."
The power wheelchair, Mrs. Erich says, will "bring back the Brittany that we used to know."
The Gift of Mobility program, Mr. Harrison said, was designed to help people like Brittany. "We are pleased that this power wheelchair will mean so much to Brittany and her family," he said. "Power wheelchairs and scooters often boost the morale of recipients, especially if they never thought they could obtain one. Our goal is to help people living with disabilities regain as much freedom and independence as possible."
Mr. Harrison and his wife, Susanna, started the Gift of Mobility program in December 2002. Each year since then, the outreach program has donated as many as 70 power wheelchairs, scooters and manual wheelchairs valued at a total of more than $200,000 to community service organizations around the world, enabling them to provide freedom, independence and personal dignity to individuals with limited mobility.
About The SCOOTER Store
Since 1991, The SCOOTER Store has helped provide freedom and independence to more than 300,000 people with limited mobility. The SCOOTER Store offers a full line of durable medical equipment, including power wheelchairs and scooters, lifts, ramps and accessories in 47 states. The SCOOTER Store has worked with more than 100,000 physicians, providing expertise and quality service to their patients, and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.
