Marine Corps veteran Earnest Lawarence suffers from a Cerebral Small Vessel Disease, which strikes him with 3-4 unexpected daily migraines that can result in paralysis. Due to random bouts of mobility loss, Earnest cannot enjoy the things he loves—spending time outdoors with his family and grandkids.
With nominations from neighbors or loved ones, Defender Mobility can restore mobility to those with injuries or lack full mobility — something many people take for granted.
From a heartfelt nomination of a spouse, founder Jim Tignanelli recounts the journey to surprising Earnest Lawrence with a Trac Fab chair.
“In September of 2021, I received an email through the Defender Mobility “nomination submission” tab. Cheryl Lawrence wrote one of the most touching narratives I’ve seen while describing her husband Earnest and his disability. He suffers from “Cerebral Small Vessel Disease,” and this causes severe migraines which then paralyze his left side for 3-4 days at a time. The paralysis occurs without much notice and he often falls to the ground when it strikes.
The issue I had was that Earnest and Cheryl live in Woodstock, GA. We generally operate on very small margins here at Defender and I like to be ready if there is a need for a Michigan first responder or veteran. I was blessed, some years ago, to be contacted by a group that chose to remain anonymous. They had contacted me after we had delivered a chair to Aaron Alonso in 2015. I contacted my anonymous friends and explained my predicament. They immediately put me in touch with the “Patriot Fund.” Only a short time later, I received confirmation that Patriot Fund would not only purchase the chair but they would reimburse me and Ed Humpert (Trac Fab distributor) for airfare to and from Atlanta. This allowed us to have the chair shipped to a church near the Lawrence home. Ultimately, we arranged for a surprise delivery to Earnest while he dined with his family at the “Semper Fi” restaurant in Woodstock, GA!
The accompanying video was sent to me from the Lawrence family. It has been some six months since we delivered the Trac Fab to Earnest. The video gives you his thoughts on the impact it has made on his life (and his family’s!).
This was among more than thirty Trac Fab chairs delivered through Defender Mobility. I have always believed that is important to tell all of those who share our site that we continue to do all that your donations allow us to do. Earnest’s message says it all.”
Jim Tignanelli, founder of Defender Mobility Foundation & POAM President
We’d like to extend a special thanks to the generous donations that help make gifting the Trac Fab chairs possible. Please consider donating online to Defender Mobility so we can continue to restore mobility and comfort to our veterans. If you or know a military and police hero with an injury, limb loss, or limited mobility please nominate them for help from Defender Mobility.
Leave a Reply