Bessy and Harry

I'd like you to meet Bessy, She is white with some gold stripes and she is pretty huge. Bessy is our 1999 Chevy Hi top accessible van with a wheelchair lift. We purchased Bessy about 10 months ago, she was dirty, needed tires and other mechanical gizmos and gadgets, but we did not have much money so we decided to "take a Chance" so we "adopted her" and brought her home. Our search had effectively covered 3 counties, many cities and leads that just did not pan out. We finally found her, the big white hi top van with the braun lift. It needed new tires, the brakes were bad, the a/c needed to be completely overhauled. We did not realize then that we had purchased THE ORIGINAL MONEY PIT of vehicles. We woke up each morning saying a little prayer that our Big Bessy would start and carry us through the needs of the day. We did not quibble about the amount of gas she drank or the need for a emergency fund that we put aside for the moment when Bessy emergencies frowned on us.

Two days ago, Bessy decided that she needed a rest, one of many since we adopted her. Once again she decided to turn herself off and not move, worst thing was she stopped in the middle of the street and there was no way we could move her over to the side. After a few minutes of our bewilderment, the sweetest burly gentleman approached us and asked if we needed help, at least getting our lady to the side of the road. We thought he was going to bring up his truck and push but, oh how wrong we were! He went to the back of the van and without another word, pushed Bessy as my husband steered her to the side of the road!

With Bessy now safely out of the way of traffic for both her own and traffic's sake, the next "UH OH" moment occurred when we realized that the reason for the "Bessy run" was our daughter Laura's need to get to her college Spanish class to take her final. How were we going to get Laura and her power chair picked up from campus and get her back home? I spent one frantic moment in a dazed and confused state, then sprung into action, knowing her class was going to end shortly, I began calling some local cab companies in hopes that they would have a vehicle to get her home. A anxious search lead me no where. Finally I called our county transportation office hoping they might have a list of companies that had a vehicle that could get Laura home. I got the answer I needed! A cab company had just obtained 3 accessible vans but they usually booked them days in advance. That feeling of relief suddenly became even more filled with angst then originally. I explained to the dispatcher, Sheeana, that there was no other way to get my daughter home. Low and behold Sheeana showed her compassion for others. She asked for my cell number and told me that she was going to try something. What she tried was Miss Keisha, an amazing woman who felt compelled to help. She was off duty and had taken home the company van. Sheeana, thinking quickly, remembered Keisha so she made a call and within 20 minutes this caring incredible woman arrived. She first picked me up so I could help locate Laura who was waiting for us at school. Miss Keisha was an expert; she pulled out the tie downs and seat belts necessary for Laura's safety and in a quick 2 minutes had the company's van ready for Laura's ride home. She was not on duty, you could tell by her attire, pretty dress and very high heels, but that did not stop her from helping when she got the call.

On the trip home we found out that the company was instituting a special program for riders needing to feel independent enough to go to recreational places on their own. We filled out an application for Laura, which is now in process and took information to spread through the disability community here. What was a horrible moment had suddenly become one of excitement to share new support for the people in out community, as well as giving Laura the opportunity to have a new freedom for getting around!

Meanwhile, I left my husband with the van and not much else. No cell phone and a mechanic on the way that we did not even know! No joke...6 hours and $300.00 later, he drove the van home, the problem had been a small computer that does something or other to keep the van running!

We decided that we needed to step up our search for a second vehicle to "back up" Bessy. So today, after another search or 10 on Craig's list, we brought home Harry. Harry became a part of our life due to the tax return funds we were saving for just this thing! Harry is a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. He runs well, at least it seems that way! The chances of both of Bessy and Harry going down at the same time is hopefully not very good. Harry has a hitch and a wheelchair lift that goes in the back of the car so we have the ability, with a bit more difficulty, to be able to transport Laura's chair along with Laura.

I am telling this story because it is a fact of life, the needs that we face as caregivers and people with disabilities is different and more challenging and often frustrating. Although when a Miss Keisha or Miss Sheeana or the owner of the small bookstore who saw us struggling with Bessy in the heat (we live in Florida) and came out with cold water and the invitation to use his store's bathroom and a/c or the bear of a man who pushed the van out of the street...when people like these walk into your life, the moment and the struggle becomes just a little bit less frustrating and upsetting, it shows that Life has it's amazingly good moments...