Willy Needs a New Wheelchair
Donation protected
Hi friends,
This is Willy. Willy is a down-on his luck Veteran here in Providence, RI. On any given day, you can find Willy in his run down wheelchair at the corner of Washington St., right before you head into downtown. He has an infectious smile (Willy always has his mask on, but I asked him to remove it for his picture which he was happy to do) and is ALWAYS in a positive mood. Willy’s life has been far from easy. He has gone to war for our country, lost his leg, battled homelessness & poverty, and that’s all from a life before I knew him. Since becoming friends with Willy, I have watched him battle cancer, survive a pandemic, & battle a serious infection from, well, his wheelchair! Let me explain…
My mom & I visit Willy every chance we get. We usually bring him breakfast or drive by first and ask what he would like. He is never picky and always SO gracious. Last Christmas we asked Willy if there was anything he wanted and he immediately replied “I would love a used electric wheelchair. I’m saving up for it.” Once we learned of the price, and how close it already was to Christmas, we settled and bought Willy some new clothes & a new mattress because his “bum was about to hit the ground” on his old one. He cried. So did we.
When the pandemic hit, we were so worried about Willy, because we didn’t see him for months and were concerned he had lost his battle with cancer, but it turned out he was just doing his part and staying inside to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. We were so happy Willy was okay. A few months later, Willy disappeared again. This time for 4+ months. It wasn’t until a few days ago, after talking about Willy at coffee, that we finally saw him back at his old spot! We were so excited we pulled over to talk to him and see where he had been. It turns out, a screw had come loose from Willy’s wheelchair and lodged itself in his leg. Due to his condition, Willy did not feel this happening until it was too late. The loose bolt gave Willy a severe infection that caused him to be hospitalized for months. Somehow, after all this, Willy is as happy and funny and gracious as ever.
Our goal is to raise the funds to purchase Willy a used electric wheelchair. Not only is it the only thing Willy has ever asked us for, but it would greatly improve his quality of life. Willy makes us genuinely happy every time we see him, and we would love nothing more than to return the favor to a vet who has been dealt some pretty crappy cards. Thank you in advance!
This is Willy. Willy is a down-on his luck Veteran here in Providence, RI. On any given day, you can find Willy in his run down wheelchair at the corner of Washington St., right before you head into downtown. He has an infectious smile (Willy always has his mask on, but I asked him to remove it for his picture which he was happy to do) and is ALWAYS in a positive mood. Willy’s life has been far from easy. He has gone to war for our country, lost his leg, battled homelessness & poverty, and that’s all from a life before I knew him. Since becoming friends with Willy, I have watched him battle cancer, survive a pandemic, & battle a serious infection from, well, his wheelchair! Let me explain…
My mom & I visit Willy every chance we get. We usually bring him breakfast or drive by first and ask what he would like. He is never picky and always SO gracious. Last Christmas we asked Willy if there was anything he wanted and he immediately replied “I would love a used electric wheelchair. I’m saving up for it.” Once we learned of the price, and how close it already was to Christmas, we settled and bought Willy some new clothes & a new mattress because his “bum was about to hit the ground” on his old one. He cried. So did we.
When the pandemic hit, we were so worried about Willy, because we didn’t see him for months and were concerned he had lost his battle with cancer, but it turned out he was just doing his part and staying inside to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. We were so happy Willy was okay. A few months later, Willy disappeared again. This time for 4+ months. It wasn’t until a few days ago, after talking about Willy at coffee, that we finally saw him back at his old spot! We were so excited we pulled over to talk to him and see where he had been. It turns out, a screw had come loose from Willy’s wheelchair and lodged itself in his leg. Due to his condition, Willy did not feel this happening until it was too late. The loose bolt gave Willy a severe infection that caused him to be hospitalized for months. Somehow, after all this, Willy is as happy and funny and gracious as ever.
Our goal is to raise the funds to purchase Willy a used electric wheelchair. Not only is it the only thing Willy has ever asked us for, but it would greatly improve his quality of life. Willy makes us genuinely happy every time we see him, and we would love nothing more than to return the favor to a vet who has been dealt some pretty crappy cards. Thank you in advance!
Organizer
Brittany Wnuk
Organizer
Providence, RI