Convaid Wheelchair Helps Save Young Girl's Life from Deadly Tornado
Devastating outbreaks of tornadoes sweep across the Midwest and South affecting millions of people in 10 states.
TORRANCE, Calif. - Many families in West Liberty, KY are attempting to put their lives back together after getting hit by devastating tornadoes and twisters that took at least 23 lives, injured approximately 300, and left behind massive piles of destruction. Resident Phyllis Sluman said she is thankful her and her daughter Makalla, who has cerebral palsy, made it out alive - thanks in large part to her daughter's Safari Tilt Wheelchair.
"The chair saved my daughter's life," said Sluman. "I was holding on to her while she was in her chair and she got ripped out of my arms. When she fell, the wheelchair prevented her from suffering a head injury and protected her during the tornado."
During the ordeal, Makalla suffered from a hip injury as well as broken femur that required two surgeries, which she is currently recovering from. The Safari Tilt, which Sluman described as her daughter's lifeline, was broken beyond repair. To assist with the family's needs, Convaid Inc. decided to donate a brand new Safari Tilt wheelchair to Sluman and her daughter.
"When we heard about Phyllis and her daughter, we knew we wanted to help her with her situation," said Chris Braun, President of Convaid, Inc. "We know how important a wheelchair can be for a child with disabilities and we wanted to replace Makalla's chair as soon as possible to help her with her recovery."
The Safari features include an extended range of tilt for feeding, stabilizing and comfort; adjustable recline; and a flat planar seat for solid support.
"I've tried lots of different brands of wheelchairs and the Safari is by far the best product," Sluman said. "It's manageable and I can easily fold it up and take it anywhere we need to go. The chair's tilt enables my daughter to sit up, do her work, eat; she can do pretty much anything on the chair. It's her life."
To donate to the tornado victims, Kentucky Bank has a branch in Sandy Hook taking donations to help the neighboring Morgan County community. Kentucky Bank also has offices in Cynthiana, Georgetown, Morehead, Nicholasville, Paris, Sandy Hook, Versailles, Wilmore, and Winchester. Contributions can also be sent to Kentucky Bank, 2012 Tornado Relief Fund, P.O. Box 157, Paris, KY, 40362-0157.
Donations also can be made to the American Red Cross' Kentucky and Southern Indiana Disaster Relief Fund online at https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_southern_tornadoes.
For more information on the company or products please visit www.convaid.com or call 1-888-CONVAID.
About Convaid:
Convaid specializes in a complete range of pediatric strollers, pediatric wheelchairs and adult wheelchairs. The special needs wheelchair product line has advanced design, seating and mobility combinations for a variety of special needs and physical disabilities. Many options & accessories equip the wheelchairs for rehab seating and advanced positioning with custom accuracy.
Convaid is known globally as the OEM for the following Wheelchair brands: Cruiser, EZ Rider, Metro, Rodeo, Profiler, Scout, Safari and Mountee, Compax, Cuddlebug, Convertible.
Convaid is a registered member of the following organizations:
NCART = www.ncartcoalition.org
NRRTS = www.nrrts.org
Texas Rehab Providers Council = www.txrpc.org RESNA = www.resna.org
All Convaid pediatric strollers, pediatric wheelchairs and adult wheelchairs are backed by a lifetime warranty, meet all wheelchair safety requirements, are ANSI/RESNA WC19 compliant and are made in the USA.
Press contact:
Denise Heady
562-472-2787
denise@tkgmarketing.com
