HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — A Happy Valley-Goose Bay couple is overwhelmed with gratitude after being gifted a wheelchair-accessible van.
In December, Roland Kemuksigak had a massive stroke during surgery, leaving him paralyzed on the right side of his body. The health challenges have created significant strain for Roland and his wife, Patricia.
“It’s been difficult,” said Patricia. “He was sick for a while, too, besides that. He couldn’t breathe on his own, he couldn’t swallow properly, so that was hard. But he can breathe and swallow on his own now at least.”
In June, another Labrador couple heard of Roland’s situation and chose to help make his life easier. Joanne Finta and her husband, Brian Corbin, happened to have a van with a motorized wheelchair ramp that they no longer needed. Rather than posting the van for sale, they decided to donate it to someone in need. For Roland and Patricia, the van has brought quite a gift.
“We’ve got so much freedom now,” said Patricia. “Before, if I wanted to take him for a ride, I’d have to get two or three people to help lift him into the vehicle. Now, he just gets into his wheelchair, uses the ramp, he gets in, easy-peasy.”
“He can go out, do things and visit people-it’s really opened up his world.”
The van originally belonged to Joanne’s father, Jim Finta, when he needed a wheelchair in 2017. Jim owned Goose Bay Wholesalers and it was important for him to still be able to get around town.
“He was a very independent man, so to lose his mobility was major,” said Joanne. “His mind was 100 per cent, and he himself wanted to get a van… in the beginning, we would have to wait for the seniors' van to bring him.”
“He was 85 years old but he was at work every day. And we wanted to be able to bring him around as much as we could.” The family found a suitable van that was 20 years old. Despite its age, the van fulfilled its purpose for Jim Finta.
“We found a van with a motorized ramp and he had a motorized wheelchair, so he was like Speedy Gonzalez going around everywhere,” said Joanne. “It gave him a quality of life that otherwise would not have happened. He would have been stuck in the home or wherever he was.”
Jim passed away about a year after getting the van, so Joanne and Brian decided they would donate the vehicle rather than sell it – a plan they had made with Jim’s blessing.
“While we had it, I had said to him ‘when we’re done with this, we’re going to donate this van to somebody who can use it; just to make someone’s life a little easier.”
For Roland and Patricia, the donation has made a world of difference in their lives. They too hope to pass it along when the time comes.
“There are some wonderful people out there, and Joanne and Brian are two wonderful people,” said Patricia.
“When Roland walks again – and I believe he will walk again – we will pay it forward and donate it to somebody else.”