Veterans regain independence with new all-terrain chair

Freedom Alliance is a nonprofit organization that has been offering support to wounded veterans for over 30 years. They offer a range of services like scholarships, care packages, and rehabilitation. But six years ago, they started offering a piece of equipment that is helping many wounded veterans regain their independence.

Dion Dorado, a 54-year-old U.S. Marine Corps and Army veteran, has spent much of his life serving his country.

However, after a life-changing injury in 2013, Dion faced two long years of rehabilitation to relearn basic functions like walking and talking. 

“I spent two years learning to walk and talk again. It didn’t hold me down,” said Dion. 

But the toll of his service started to take its effect, making even simple outdoor activities challenging.

“Now that I got a 12-year-old running around, wanting me to do stuff, it’s pretty difficult,” Dion said.

But a new all-terrain wheelchair, provided by Freedom Alliance, is changing that. 

The chair, designed for rugged terrains, gives Dion the mobility he needs to go hunting, fishing, and enjoy outdoor activities with his wife and his son Luke.

“This is major. This is a major difference,” Dion said. “The last time that I walked around, I think, was last year. My leg propensity gave out, and I actually fell forward and broke my neck.”

Freedom Alliance, which has provided over 75 of these all-terrain chairs to veterans across the country, aims to restore a sense of independence for those who have sacrificed so much.

“Veterans like Dion have given so much for our country,” said Tom Kilgannon, President of Freedom Alliance. “In this chair, these threads will help Dion and so many other veterans be able to participate in the things that they love."

Dion, who has traveled to 54 countries during his service, is now looking forward to exploring the outdoors once again. 

His new chair will allow him to visit his 20-acre property in Oklahoma, venture into Texas, and even go fishing with his son.

“Just in time for your birthday. We’re going crappie fishing,” Dion said to his wife.

The chair, which allows Dion to move freely across difficult terrain, has already made a huge impact on his life.

“Yeah, I would’ve already been sitting down on that log right there if I had to walk this,” he said, while testing out his new chair on the Keystone Ancient Forest trail.

Thanks to the generosity of nationwide donations, Freedom Alliance is able to provide these life-changing chairs to veterans like Dion, helping them regain independence and continue to live life to the fullest.

For more information on Freedom Alliance and how you can apply for one of these wheelchairs, visit their website here.