NORMAN — Editor, The Transcript:
I recently took my Mom to visit Graceland, an item that has been on her bucket list since the beginning of time. I was in need of a wheelchair. Customer relations at Graceland suggested I bring my own, since the crowds place a demand on their limited supply.
I turned to Progressive Independence (PI), a Norman nonprofit that specializes in providing mobility-related assistance/services to individuals with paralysis. They were wonderful. PI willingly let me use a wheelchair, free of charge, making the trip to Memphis and the experience for my Mom to Graceland a breeze. Thank you.
I continue to be ever-impressed with this nonprofit organization. This, of course, was not my first experience with their phenomenal work. Their specialty and mission is to assist individuals who suffer accidents and/or traumatic brain injury that result in paralysis. This is a huge. You have to hope you never need to experience these angels or their services firsthand. In the event that you do, they will leave a monumental footprint on your heart.
My son, Chris, became a quadriplegic on Labor Day in 2005 as the result of a boating accident at Lake Thunderbird. The very next day, when the diagnosis of quadriplegia was confirmed, the angels from PI were on the scene. Understandably, the PI angels were greeted with disdain by my son who, like the rest of our family, was in total shock trying to process and cope with all that had happened.
Oddly, on the first visit, the PI angel “accidently” left his backpack in my son’s hospital room, presenting the ideal entry for a return visit. And that is precisely how it went down. Needless to say, the organization continued to play an instrumental role in my son’s life and, to this day, I am extremely grateful for the services they provide to our community.
In addition to this public thank you and recognition of a terrific nonprofit entity in the Norman community, I ask my neighbors, fellow Norman citizens, this holiday season, to take and make the time to recognize a local nonprofit that has touched your life in some way. Norman is blessed to be surrounded by many worthy nonprofit organizations that have taken a huge hit in funding during the economic downturn of the economy.
Let’s dig deep this holiday season. The economy is on the upswing, and we need to recognize and contribute to the nonprofits that bring enormous relief to our families. Those agencies and the work that they do, in large part, are why Norman continues to rank, nationally, as one of the very best places to live. Let’s pay it forward.
In closing, I would also like to thankThe Transcript for the recent story on Progressive Independence. Job well done.
KATHY YOUNG
Norman
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