My brother Scott has been living his Florida dream now for more than two years… every day something of a miracle. The diving accident that dramatically changed his life occurred almost exactly 27 years ago. Most days, he feels good, and as the feeling moves him, he can load into his fancy, customized Silverado pickup truck and motor off in any direction he chooses. With his positive outlook and attitude, his passions for helping others, and his get-up-and-go, he is a daily inspiration to us all. Unfortunately, difficulties do arise; among the takeaways from those trying situations, we are always able to see my brother’s strengths in new light, while also gaining new appreciation and respect for his MVPs.
This April 1, when we were expecting Scott to join us at New Smyrna Beach for good times – and a round of testing of the new product he is developing with Alex Montanez – the day began with a shock: I learned from my cousin Joel that an ambulance had just taken Scott to Poinciana Medical Center. It was the beginning of another round of hospitalization due to pressure sores, where the previous rounds had been lengthy and rather catastrophic. Thankfully, he was discharged by week’s end, and he was able to join us on Saturday, April 7, for a day we’ll never forget.
I mentioned MVPs: When I arrived at the hospital on April 1, Joel, Linda, Cheryl Cavender Becker, Scott’s attendant Yvette Jimenez Laguerre and our step-mother Peggy were already there. Our Dad and dear family friend Cristy Willman were also in-the-loop by phone. Importantly, Alex was there in spirit; having traveled to New Smyrna Beach with his family that morning to drop off the prototype, he also delivered a motherlode of inspiration. The picture and the “sizzle” video he shared seized Scott’s frontal lobe throughout the hospital stay. Everyone who visited his hospital room heard about the Anywhere, and knew exactly why Scott had to recover.
By midweek, with the inventor and primary test pilot still laid up, Anywhere testing fell to Beth and me. After making a couple of tweaks, we took off for the 27th Avenue Park, me driving the Anywhere from a wheelchair and Beth on bike. On the sidewalk, waiting for a cross-signal, a youngish guy approached with his cell phone pointed forward. “I hope it’s okay if I get a picture of this – my buddy is in a wheelchair and he would love to have something like that.” Hmm, I thought: Proof of concept.
Driving across the parking lot and popping right over several curbs, I automatically attracted a lot of attention of some older people heading for their cars – one pointing me out to others. A group of three young guys carrying beach gear came right up behind me: “That is the coolest fucking thing I have ever seen.” Another man said, “I see a lot of mobility equipment every day, and that is really something unique.” Then, the cherry on top: An older woman walking with friends toward the beach said, “If I had something like that for my scooter, I would come to the beach a lot more often.”
As you would expect, the experience was somewhat euphoric for me: I had to call Scott and fill him in on every nuance of this feedback. At one point I was also surrounded by several older men – all strangers to each other, attracted by the Anywhere spectacle – who all had to express opinions, kick the tires and take pictures. I was so happy to be able to report: “This thing sells itself.”
Thanks to the MVPs I’ve mentioned and many more of them, Scott showed up on Saturday and was able to make his own maiden voyage. We had plans for what we’d shoot… is it any surprise that fate had other ideas? Nonetheless, we had a lovely get-together, the Anywhere testing progressed further toward being ready for the world, and Scott actually got to take a ride on it.
So, it was an amazingly awesome week for Scott and for everyone who loves him. If you want to be able to see the video I’m embedding here, just email me, Scott or Alex for the password. Rest assured, Scott, Alex and the MVPs are working hard to ensure that the Anywhere is go, starting soon.
The last order of business before driving north toward home on Sunday, April 8, was to shoot the sunrise, featured here in Rare Air Episode 27. Watching that beautiful event, I was filled with gratitude.
