The Turny Evo Giveaway
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, BraunAbility donated four Turny Evo seats to help families who had a child living with cerebral palsy. The Turny Evo seat provides vehicle transfer assistance. It lowers to the user's desired height completely outside the vehicle, then lifts and swivels the user into the vehicle. The giveaway represented an opportunity for increased independence for Kennedy and decreased strain on her parents. It could also be installed in the family's Toyota Sienna minivan, one of the hundreds of vehicles compatible with the Turny Evo seat.
"I had zero expectations of winning. It was one of those late-night, half-awake mom moments. I knew it was worth a shot," Willis said.
Independence With the Turny Evo Seat
Willis was shocked to get a call a few weeks later letting her know her family would be moving on to the next round of applicants.
She still downplayed any expectation of winning, which made the video call from the founders of the Lenn Foundation even more of a surprise.
"When we learned we'd won, well, you could have told me I won the lottery," Willis said.
A few months later, the Willis family had their Turny Evo seat installed in their minivan with the help of their local mobility dealer. The dealership's mobility consultants also trained the family on how to use the seat.
"The seat is a great addition to our family. At first, Kennedy was nervous she was going to fall as the seat lifted her out into the air. It took a little time to adjust, but she also loves to be independent," Willis said.
The family worked together to slowly increase Kennedy's comfort level with the seat. Sister Riley would get in to show her there was no need for concern.
Now, with the Turny Evo, getting everyone in and out of the car is much easier for the Willis family.
"For me and for her, it is the best thing ever. When she can do things on her own, her confidence just soars," Willis said.
As a mom, Willis is beyond proud, but she also knows that parenting a child living with a physical disability has its hard days.
"I am so thankful that Kennedy's surgery was an option, and I'm so grateful companies like BraunAbility offer specialized equipment that makes such a difference," she said, noting improvements in her daughter's comfort and mobility.
Willis hopes her daughter's story can help lead others to medical and mobility solutions that are right for them. While the Turny Evo giveaway has ended, the seating solution is available through local BraunAbility dealers across the United States and Canada.
