CHESTERFIELD, MO – Austyn Martin likes things that look sleek and go fast. Whether it’s a luxury sports car or a customized state-of-the-art power wheelchair, Martin wants a cool ride. In response to his wish, Quantum Rehab® recently donated a Stretto Power Chair to Martin as part of his wish from the Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas chapter.
Martin, 17, of Tunas, MO, was born with spinal muscular atrophy and requires the use of a power wheelchair. Because Martin has a love of sports cars, the chair was presented at Holman Motorcars St. Louis, an Aston Martin dealership, where Martin was able to see the luxury cars up close.
An additional surprise was a set of authentic Aston Martin Wings donated by Aston Martin. The wings are on the back of Martin’s power wheelchair.
Martin’s custom-made Stretto features iLevel® technology, which offers 12 inches of power lift while operating the chair at speeds up to 3.5 miles per hour. iLevel’s patented Extra Stability Technology® enhances safety for transfers, reach and numerous other activities of daily living.
“It’s going to help me so much because instead of being below eye level, like where everybody looks down and thinks, ‘Well, I don’t know if I want to talk to him,’ I’ll be up there when I’m looking at them and they’ll notice me for who I am,” Martin said.
Jay Brislin, Vice President of Quantum Rehab, says the company was happy to help.
“At Quantum Rehab, consumer needs and wishes are our driving force,” Brislin said. “We are pleased to partner with the Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas chapter to grant Austyn’s wish of a Quantum Stretto power wheelchair. Working together, we fitted Austyn to make sure his power chair meets his needs. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Aston Martin sports cars, we were able to further customize Austyn’s power chair by affixing a genuine set of Aston Martin Wings to it since Austyn loves sports cars.”
Ashley Wray, Wish Specialist at Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas, says Austyn’s wish would not have been possible without the support of Quantum Rehab and Holman Motorcars.
“Both of these partners have worked together to make this surprise, and his wheelchair, something really special,” Wray said. “Austyn was shocked to find out that his one true wish came to fruition and it will be a memory his whole family can cherish.”
Quantum Rehab® is a premier global innovator of consumer-inspired complex rehab products, including the Stretto, Edge® 3 and 4Front® power chairs, iLevel® seat elevation technology, TRU-Balance® 3 Power Positioning Systems, Q-Logic 3 Advanced Drive Controls, and Stealth Products® cushions and positioning components. Headquartered in Duryea, Pennsylvania, Quantum also has operations in Las Vegas, Nevada, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Visit quantumrehab.com.
Make-A-Wish® Missouri & Kansas creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. They are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in 50 countries worldwide. The Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas chapter is headquartered in Ballwin, Missouri and serves all counties in Missouri and Kansas. Since 1983, Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas has granted more than 8,900 wishes to children with critical illnesses in their area. Visit mokan.wish.org.
