We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Crystal Lee Laramore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Crystal below.
Hi Crystal, thanks for joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
When we first began seeing applicants for our Wheelchairs for Warriors program we ran across Leigh and Rebecca Talavera. Leigh was an Army veteran, injured in the line of duty, who was struggling with a subpar (to say the least) wheelchair. Heidi Hansing, my co-conspirator, met Leigh and Rebecca (his wife) at a veteran’s event and Rebecca was struggling to drag Leigh and his heavy, bulky wheelchair across the grass. Heidi stepped in and helped and began asking them questions. Turned out Leigh was a perfect candidate for our mission!
When our rehab seating specialist and I showed up to the Talavera’s home, having never met them, we were SHOCKED at how bad his wheelchair really was. Leigh suffered from a devastating spinal cord injury and was sitting in a wheelchair with a seat so thin and so slack he caused him to actually sit ON THE FRAME of the chair! His wife had put bath towels on the seat to give him some sort of comfort! We were outraged!
Paul performed the seating clinic with Leigh and I visited with Rebecca. While we were visiting she showed me the damage on the back of her car from dragging Leigh’s heavy, bulky wheelchair across the back to get it into her trunk!
It was the moment I realized we were not only serving warriors, we were their serving caregivers too!!
Our 14lb titanium wheelchair, with air cushion seat and back, made a huge impact on not only Leigh’s life, but his family’s lives too. Instead of being left behind, he was able to join his family for sports activities, friends for dinner, etc.
Sadly, Leigh passed away on 29 May 2024 from his injuries. Changing his life for the better was an honor for all of us at Wheelchairs for Warriors.
Crystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Wheelchairs for Warriors serves veterans and first responders, injured in the line of duty, who cannot get assistance from their healthcare providers. WFW was founded on 6 December 2016 and has been recognized by the State of Texas as well as Galveston County, where our HQ is located. My love for the military, and those who wear a uniform to protect and serve, comes from a family history steeped in the American tradition of serving our country; a passion that runs deep in my family roots. A Laramore has fought in every conflict since the beginning of America! I am a Daughter of the American Revolution! With an inherited burning desire in my heart to serve, I worked for the Department of State (DOS) in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004-2006, serving as a liaison officer to the Ambassador to Iraq (under a KBR contract), John Negroponte, and received a letter of commendation from the DOS. It was this experience that sparked the fire to found an organization that serves warriors. Noticing the gap between what our wounded warriors NEED and what they are afforded, Heidi Hansing, Paul Morgan and I, set out on a mission to provide better wheelchair solutions that would allow wounded veterans and first responders to regain some of their independence & freedom and give them the ability to ROLL STRONG! Wheelchairs for Warriors received the American Freedom Fund’s Outstanding Veteran Service award in 2022 and the Four Chaplains Bronze Medal Humanitarian Award in 2023 and 920AM’s Faith, Family, Freedom Outstanding Non-profit award in 2024!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Heidi and I were both wanting to leave our current careers, which was closely tied to politics. We were on separate yet parallel journeys and while commiserating one evening I blurted out, “Let’s start our own non-profit”! Like any good friend she said, “OK”! Then she said, “HOW”? And I said, “I don’t know. But if others have done it, we can do it”!
And isn’t that really the lesson? If it’s been done, there is a recipe!! And if it hasn’t been done, create your own recipe! With God’s help and guidance, some perseverance and a lot of hard work, we have been able to create a work environment that is our heart’s desire… serving those who served us! We are in playing in our very own sandbox!
Is it tough? Sometimes. Is it fun? Most of the time. Is it rewarding? All of the time!
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Success comes mostly from attitude and less from skill. If you think you can, you can; with the right training, mentorship, attitude and hard work. You must have a great attitude for others to join your mission or see your vision. If you want to go into any field, you need training and in today’s world you can find all the training you need online. We have all had to undergo specific training to jump into a new field, the non-profit world. Where I used to have complete autonomy running my businesses, I now have a board of directors and government guidelines to follow. It’s a new day for me, but one I enjoy waking up to each and every day! Also, I highly suggest everyone has a mentor; someone who has gone before you and been successful at what it is you want to do in life! And please, let us not forget hard work. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week if you want to own your own business or be successful in someone else’s. And always pray. Without God, none of this would be possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wheelchairsforwarriors.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelchairsforwarriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelchairsforwarriors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/55733841/admin/feed/posts/
- TwitteWe’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Crystal Laramore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Crystal below.
Hi Crystal, thanks for joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
When we first began seeing applicants for our Wheelchairs for Warriors program we ran across Leigh and Rebecca Talavera. Leigh was an Army veteran, injured in the line of duty, who was struggling with a subpar (to say the least) wheelchair. Heidi Hansing, my co-conspirator, met Leigh and Rebecca at a veteran’s event and Rebecca was struggling to drag Leigh and his heavy, bulky wheelchair across some grass. Heidi stepped in and helped and began asking them questions. Turned out that he was a perfect candidate for our mission!
When our rehab seating specialist and I showed up to the Talavera’s home, having never met them, we were SHOCKED at how bad his wheelchair really was. Leigh suffered from a devastating spinal cord injury and he was in a wheelchair with a seat so thin and so slack he caused him to actually sit ON THE FRAME of the chair! His wife had put bath towels on the seat to give him some sort of comfort! We were outraged!
Paul performed the seating clinic and I visited with Rebecca. While we were visiting she showed me the damage on the back of her car from dragging Leigh’s wheelchair across the back to get it into her trunk!
It was the moment I realized we were not only serving a warrior, we were serving caregivers too!!
The 14lb titanium wheelchair with air cushion seat and back made a huge impact on not only Leigh’s life, but his family’s lives too. Instead of being left behind, he was able to join his family for sports activities, friends for dinner, etc.
Sadly, Leigh passed away on 29 May 2024 from his injuries. Changing his life for the better was an honor.
Crystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Wheelchairs for Warriors serves veterans and first responders, injured in the line of duty, who cannot get assistance from their healthcare providers. WFW was founded on 6 December 2016 and has been recognized by the State of Texas as well as Galveston County, where their HQ is located. My love for the military, and those who wear a uniform to protect and serve, comes from a family history steeped in the American tradition of serving our country; a passion that runs deep in my family roots. A Laramore has fought in every conflict since the beginning of America! I am a Daughter of the American Revolution! With an inherited burning desire in my heart to serve, I worked for the Department of State (DOS) in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004-2006, serving as a liaison officer to the Ambassador to Iraq (under a KBR contract), John Negroponte, and received a letter of commendation from the DOS. It was this experience that sparked the fire to found an organization that serves warriors. Noticing the gap between what our wounded warriors NEED and what they are afforded, Heidi Hansing, Paul Morgan and I, set out on a mission to provide better wheelchair solutions that would allow wounded veterans and first responders to regain some of their independence & freedom and give them the ability to ROLL STRONG! Wheelchairs for Warriors received the American Freedom Fund’s Outstanding Veteran Service award in 2022 and the Four Chaplains Bronze Medal Humanitarian Award in 2023 and 920AM’s Faith, Family, Freedom Outstanding Non-profit award in 2024!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Heidi and I were both wanting to leave our current careers, which was closely tied to politics. We were on separate yet parallel journeys and while comeserating one evening I blurted out, “Let’s start our own non-profit”! Like any good friend she said, “OK”! Then she said, “HOW”? And I said, “I don’t know. But if others have done it, we can do it”!
And isn’t that really the lesson? If it’s been done, there is a recipe out there somewhere! And if it hasn’t been done, create your own recipe! With God’s help and his guidance, we were able to create a work environment that is our heart’s desire… serving those who served us! We are in playing in our very own sandbox!
Is it tough? Sometimes. Is it fun? Most of the time. Is it rewarding? All of the time!
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Success comes a lot from attitude. If you think you can, you can; with the right training, mentorship, attitude and hard work. You must have a great attitude for others to join your mission or see your vision. If you want to go into any field, you need training and in today’s world you can find all the training you need online. We have all had to undergo specific training to jump into a new field, the non-profit world. Where I used to have complete autonomy running my businesses, I now have a board of directors and government guidelines to follow. It’s a new day for me, but one I enjoy waking up to each and every day! Also, I highly suggest everyone has a mentor; someone who has gone before you and been successful at what it is you want to do in life! And please, let us not forget hard work. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week if you want to own your own business or be successful in someone else’s business. And with today’s technology, we are always connected.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wheelchairsforwarriors.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelchairsforwarriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelchairsforwarriors
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/55733841/admin/feed/posts/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Chairs4warriors
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wheelchairsforwarriors
Image Credits
Wheelchairs For WarriorsSuggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here. - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wheelchairsforwarriors
Image Credits
Wheelchairs For Warriors