Mary Pruter is the latest recipient of a 2015 scholarship from Will2Walk Foundation in the amount of $995, which helped her purchase a Para Ladder. The Para Ladder is designed to provide the dignity of an unassisted floor-to-standing or floor-to-wheelchair manual lift.
Mary sustained a T12 incomplete injury in 2010 when she fell off the roof of her two-story home. She is a classified as a paraplegic, but has some feeling in her rear end and can move her thighs.
“Days after I got out of the hospital, doctors at my rehab clinic told me that with therapy, I would walk again,” recalled Mary. “But at $2,500 a day I could not afford it.”
Prior to her injury, Mary was extremely active, working as a waitress and then a landscape architect. She enjoyed running on the beach, dancing and working in the garden. “Now, I exercise daily and hope that someday, somehow I will walk again.”
Mary lives alone and does not have a caregiver. Prior to receiving the Para Ladder, a fall out of her wheelchair required a phone call to friends or the paramedics to help her up.
“The Para Ladder is a dream and is easier to use than I thought,” said Pruter. “I showed it to the paramedics at the fire station and they thought that it was a great idea. I can’t thank Will2Walk enough for giving me a wonderful sense of freedom!”
For more information, contact amy.munoz@will2walk.org.
The Will2Walk Scholarship & Sponsorship Program is designed to provide funding to individuals and qualified organizations that exemplify how those with spinal cord injuries can live a healthy, active and independent lifestyle. If you or someone you know could benefit from the Will2Walk Scholarship & Sponsorship Program, details can be found at Will2Walk.org.
