NEWS & EVENTS
Press Releases – 2002
June 5, 2002
Rockford Man "Movin' Out" with Motorized Scooter Donated by Local Charity
(Rockford, MI) – For 60-year-old John Jewell, life is sweet and actually couldn't be better now that he has some wheels to get him around town. At age 47, John suffered a massive stroke. He credits this as a pivotal event that turned his life around after years of "living the hard life" traveling throughout the USA performing as a country rock musician.
John returned to Rockford just three years ago. He says he celebrates each day as if it were a gift. "I love this community. It's filled with wonderful people, and everybody treats me like a king!"
One of John's favorite daily local haunts is Ric's Coffee shop. Given the frequency of his visits, John struck a deal with the owner for a bottomless "cuppa joe."
Prior to the gift of a power-operated scooter chair donated by Alternatives in Motion, getting a cup of coffee was a major effort because of John's physical limitations. John says, "Park benches were my resting points."
Alternatives in Motion stepped in and supplied John with the scooter chair, which can travel at five mph. John says he's thrilled with his newfound mobility. "This scooter has set me free. It's fantastic—I got the world now!"