ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Before Thursday night’s ballgame, St. Louis Cardinals fans will honor six wounded veterans who received a major gift earlier in the day – Segways from the locally based charity Segs4Vets.
The six lost limbs while fighting in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. They come from Nebraska, California, New York and the St. Louis area.
Florissant, Mo., native Lt. Col. Quentin Collins says his Segway will allow him to do something he never thought he’d get to do again.
“I realized I wasn’t going to be able to take the younger kids to the park. I used to go for a walk and take them out there and stop and play sometimes. But now, having a Segway, I’ll get to take my kids to the park again. That’s probably the most significant thing.”
On hand to watch the recipients was Zach Parker, who lost both legs and an arm overseas. About a year ago, he received an “Ally Chair,” which is a St. Louis-made wheelchair Segway.
“It’s a game changer,” he says. “Way better than a normal wheelchair. More accessible than a power chair. Goes and does everything I’ve needed to do, and more.”
Parker says it’s given him much of his life back.
“Getting around day to day, I don’t have to wear out the one shoulder I have left to wear out. I don’t have to have extra accessibility equipment to bring along an extra chair. It brings everything into one and makes getting around, going to do things that I didn’t get to do before because I couldn’t keep up.”
Segs4Vets president Jerry Kerr says the organization has presented some 1,500 Segways in its 10 years.
To learn more, visit segs4vets.com.
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