A Promising Life Wasted
Life was not supposed to go this way for Elizabeth Soden. Once a lively lady with a promising career, a freak accident left her partly crippled, putting her goals on hold.
Fortunately, her husband remained by her side; nevertheless, Elizabeth began to notice he would frequently go out on his own, and when she discovered why, she burst into tears.
Content Life
Elizabeth was on the path to success before she was injured. She not only enjoyed her profession as a bus driver, but she was also a reserve sheriff with aspirations of one day joining the police academy.
She had a wonderful boyfriend, Brad Soden. He was a war veteran and firefighter. Life was excellent in general!
Outdoor People
The couple loved volunteering. Brad and Elizabeth both spend a significant amount of time volunteering at local schools. They also liked to be active and would go camping, hiking, and water skiing on a regular basis.
For them, staying indoors was simply not an option. They loved the outdoors and being active.
Perfect Match
Elizabeth was a mother of two, while Brad had three sons of his own. They made an incredible team. Brad was passionately in love with Elizabeth after only a few weeks of dating.
He considered her to be the most selfless person he had ever met. Unfortunately, both Brad and Elizabeth's lives were about to take a catastrophic change.
Car Accident
Right after her 35th birthday, Elizabeth got into a very severe car vehicle. Her back broke during the accident. She was rushed to a hospital in Vegas, where a doctor gave her a bleak prognosis, even telling her to say her final goodbyes right now.
It was an unexpected turn in her life. Could Elizabeth survive this terrible time?
On Wheelchair Forever
Elizabeth struggled fiercely to live despite her diagnosis. Fortunately, her condition improved over time, but she was informed that she would never be able to walk again. Realizing she could be giving Brad more than he bargained for, she made it obvious that he could leave her if he wanted to be with someone "normal."
But was it possible for Brad to abandon her? Leave the love of his life?
Wedding Vows
Brad was not a lesser man who would have taken the easy way out. He proposed to Elizabeth while she was still in the hospital, and they married six months later.
They took their vows and for them, the vows were the absolute truth. "Through sickness and in health."
Down The Aisle
Elizabeth refused to have her wheelchair photographed in any of her wedding photos. As a result, Brad arranged for her to ride in a golf cart. Her grandfather drove her down the aisle, and her husband to be drove her to the reception.
He even carried Elizabeth the entire time during their first dance! Despite the fact that things were looking good, there were still many obstacles ahead.
In And Out Of Hospital
Elizabeth's happiness, however, would be temporary, and she would spend years in and out of hospitals owing to infections and difficulties. She'd have 12 blood transfusions, five operations, and 32 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber.
Doctors anticipated that the treatments would improve her recovery. Unfortunately, things would not be so simple.
Long Sessions
Doctors believed that the 32 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber would actually improve healthy blood flow and remove the infection. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been known to do wonders, but it didn't seem to help much in Elizabeth's case.
In fact, it appeared like the more they attempted to save her, the worse her condition got.
Bedridden Days
Elizabeth's health problems would worsen. She would have severe allergic responses to the administered antibiotics. Her liver was shutting down as a result of the reaction. She had to spend over a week in ICU.
These periods would come and go, with Elizabeth spending the majority of her days bedridden.
Daily Struggle
For Elizabeth, even the smallest of everyday chores became difficult. But no matter how terrible things became, she refused to dwell on the negatives. Despite the fact that she was in pain every day, Elizabeth found that staying positive was the key to survival.
She was a strong person and she fought every day against her sickness. To add further, she had Brad as her support.
His Entire World
Brad loved Elizabeth. He dedicated his life to his wife despite her disabilities. He felt like it was his job to keep her happy no matter what.
During one of the interviews, Brad said, "She needs something, I put it there. If they don’t make it, I’ll make it. If it’s bad, I’ll find a way to fix it."
Sneaking Off
But for the past few months, Brad was acting differently. Elizabeth started to get the feeling that he was sneaking off from home randomly. At times, it would be more than just a couple of hours.
She believed that it wouldn't be out of the blue either for Brad to have his feelings changed considering the situation. Nevertheless, this was hurt Elizabeth. Where could he be going off to? There were so many uncomfortable questions left unanswered.
A Secret Project
But the reality was far from what Elizabeth had feared. Brad began to spend substantial amounts of time away from home in order to construct something that would make life easier for his wife.
His invention was known as the "tank chair," and it would allow Elizabeth to drive across uneven terrain due to its heavy-duty tires. She'd be able to glide up stairwells and race through snow, dirt, and hills.
The Mechanism
Brad built the tank chair by using a motorised caterpillar track system for the wheels in order to make it effective in a variety of scenarios and terrains.
He mentioned in an interview, "Wheelchair designers typically design them for navigating within a building or a residence. They're ideal for this because they don't harm carpets or flooring. But it also implies that they want you to exist rather than live."
Years Of Hardwork
But the project was no easy task. After two long years of trial and error, and constant testing, Brian would finally be satisfied with the working model of the wheelchair.
His greatest concern was making anything that would endanger Elizabeth's life. The wheelchair would end up costing more than $50,000.
The Surprise
It would be an understatement to say Elizabeth was happy when she spotted her new wheels. Her tears flowed as she realised how much her husband cared for her freedom. It also elevated her to the status of a local celebrity in her community.
It sure was causing heads to turn whenever she was out with her wheelchair.
Specially Designed
The chair gave Elizabeth the freedom and independence she was robbed of. But more than that, it made her feel special.
The final product built for her was one-of-a-kind. It comes with abilities that were designed especially to aid Elizabeth and her adventures.
Reaching Out
Brad decided to market his wheelchairs to those with the same needs as Elizabeth after realising how much freedom his unique tank chair gave his wife. He further conducted trial and error to reduce the cost so that everyone could afford it.
They further proceeded to make a foundation to donate wheelchairs and scooters to low-income people. We have no doubt that as Brad continues his mission to provide wheels for people in need, he will make a difference in the lives of many.