Marquez Hillard Story
Marquez was an outgoing young man. Just the mention of family or even sports, put a smile on his face from ear to ear. He was full of youthful exuberance and looked forward to an ACTIVE life. And all of that all changed in a split-second.
A split-second. That’s all it takes to change a life forever. For Marquez Hilliard, that split-second occurred three years ago. He was robbed at gunpoint and shot in the head. Marquez was in the hospital for about a month and the doctors removed part of his brain which left him paralyzed from his waist down. The doctor said there’s no chance he will ever walk.
From the hospital he was moved to Ashton Place, an assisted living center with the rehabilitation equipment Marquez needs to maintain his upper body strength. But as he started to grow, his equipment started to fail.
“The older wheelchair was getting too small for him. The wheels had begun to crack and it wouldn’t roll right. It didn’t have a tall back to it, and when he would fall asleep his head would go over the side and back…he was afraid he was going to fall out. He needed another wheelchair and I didn’t know how I was going to get him one. I didn’t have the funds.” said Vivian Hilliard, Marquez’ mother.
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Renee Tutor, administrator of Ashton Place says, “A lot of our residents are Medicaid only and they don’t have any private funds and nursing homes don’t have the provisions to provide residents personal wheelchairs. We went through every venue we could to get insurance to get him one but they would not do it for him.”
What Marquez needed, was for someone to make his wish come true. And that’s EXACTLY what happened. Thanks to Senior Crimestoppers and the ‘Wish Come True’ grant, provided by SunTrust Bank…a specialized wheelchair came rolling into Ashton Place!
Dru Phillips, Marquez’ physical therapist said, “He was really excited. You just saw a big old grin on his face! Everybody was excited. He got to the point where, because it’s a specialized chair, he’s able to get in and out of his chair by himself. Get around, roll himself around. It has been a big plus for him.”
I really appreciate SunTrust Bank for having the funds there for me and Marquez to use. Because we really didn’t have it. If you ever need help, SunTrust and Senior Crimestoppers will be there to help you.”
Senior Crimestoppers and SunTrust Bank are in the business of transforming AND securing the lives of the residents and employees here at Ashton Place and we greatly appreciate it.
Transforming Lives
With the support of our partners, the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation transforms the lives of vulnerable nursing home residents. It is hard to overstate the transformative effect a bank can have on the life of an elderly person by removing fear from their lives — fear of neglect, fear of theft, fear of needing equipment and not knowing where to turn. Click on the stories below to learn more about how Senior Crime Stoppers is transforming lives every day.
Marquez Hillard Story
Marquez’ Life changed in a second but with the help of Senior Crime Stoppers, his wish for a new wheelchair came true. More
Carolyn Denny Story
The SHCPF has helped to open the pathways of communication for Carolyn with a new laptop. More
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