Took a media report to get results from the VA. Update to this story.
A simple “thanks” was all Vietnam veteran Michael Sulsona had to say after the outpouring of support which led to him receiving a new wheelchair from the office of Veterans’ Affairs on Tuesday.
“It’s incredible,” he said of his new chair, which was delivered to his home in Graniteville. “It’s like getting into a new car. You feel it — everything is tight and secure.”
Sulsona, who lost both of his legs after stepping on a land mine in Vietnam 40 years ago, encountered an unexpected act of kindness last week after his wheelchair fell apart in Lowe’s Home Improvement Center on Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor.
After seeing what happened, three employees at the store told him, “we’re not leaving here until the wheelchair is fixed,” and proceeded to repair the broken parts.
“No one needed permission, there were no forms to fill out, no incident reports — they just saw a guy in trouble and helped,” he said of the three workers.
On Tuesday, after waiting more than two years for a replacement wheelchair, Sulsona said the VA finally delivered a brand new wheelchair to his home.
The VA did not immediately return a request for comment from the Advance, but a spokesman for the New York Veteran’s Association reportedly said that Sulsona received a custom wheelchair and pledged to service the chair when needed.
“We were very sorry to hear about the reported circumstances surrounding Mr. Sulsona’s request for a new wheelchair,” the VA told Buzzfeed. “We quickly investigated and can report the veteran’s new custom wheelchair was delivered to him today and it along with his back up will be serviced by the VA as needed.”
In response, Sulsona said: “I’d hate to cheapen what these guys did, but isn’t that their job? I should have had the chair I was entitled to, but because of red tape, I never got a chair until now.”
Still, Sulsona said he doesn’t want to point blame at anyone for the delay in getting a new wheelchair. He’s more proud of the three Lowe’s employees who came through for him in the clutch.