The Francouer family is supported by BraunAbility, and their local dealer, MobilityWorks, in East Hartford, CT. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.
Two Veterans who had never met proved the "no soldier left behind" mantra of the Armed Forces holds true even decades after time spent on the battlefield.
Bert Francoeur finally had the opportunity to meet the fellow Veteran, a stranger named Charles Greenwald, who donated his previous BraunAbility Toyota Sienna to Francoeur.
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Purchasing a Wheelchair Van as a Veteran
Greenwald, a former Marine who served for six years, became a wheelchair user after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2003. Although he wasn’t diagnosed during his time in service, the condition was deemed service-connected because it developed shortly after his discharge. This classification made him eligible for funding assistance through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) automobile and adaptive equipmentallowance, which helps Veterans purchase accessible vehicles.
To explore his options, Greenwald visited his local mobility dealer, Ride-Away in East Hartford, Connecticut (now MobilityWorks), where he made the decision to purchase a BraunAbility Toyota Sienna hybrid.
Since then, the wheelchair van has been essential to the quality of life of both Greenwald and his wife, Rose. "Without the van, life would be so, so difficult. Sure, he has his power chair, but he can't get down the road with that. The van is what keeps us connected. It helps us keep living life,” she said.
Greenwald became eligible to trade-in his wheelchair accessible Toyota Sienna for a newer model, but before he did, he made one request to the mobility consultant, Roland Grundmann, at his local BraunAbility
dealer.
"He said, if you know of a fellow Veteran who could use this vehicle, I'd like to donate the wheelchair van to a fellow Vet...free of charge,'" Grundmann said.
Donating a Wheelchair Van to a Veteran
For nearly four years, Grundmann had been in contact with Francouer, a decorated WWII Veteran who had recently lost both legs due to health conditions unrelated to his time spent in service. Due to his medical conditions being unrelated to his time in service, Francoeur did not qualify for the same automotive and adaptive equipment allowance that Greenwald had.
Fulfilling Greenwald’s wish to donate his previous vehicle to a fellow Veteran, Grundmann made the call to Francoeur, telling him that a Veteran would like to donate their previous wheelchair van to him. Expectedly, Francoeur was ecstatic. But when he told his daughter, AnneMarie, she tried to convince him it was a hoax. "I thought, 'How crazy do they think we are? Who would just give away a wheelchair van?'" she said. It took multiple phone calls and emails between Grundmann and her before the family accepted that a complete stranger wanted to make life easier for a fellow Veteran facing mobility challenges later in life.
If any Veteran deserved a helping hand, it was certainly Francouer. The 91-year-old volunteered tirelessly on behalf of the VA hospital in West Haven. For years he organized the volunteer-run transportation department and was Commander of the Connecticut Disabled American Veterans Organization. He also worked with the Knights of Columbus to raise awareness and funding to purchase a wheelchair accessible bus so West Haven VA amputee Veterans could travel on group outings.
A Deserving Veteran Receives a Wheelchair Van
Francouer and Greenwald met for the first time in front of the Greenwald’s mobility dealership. As the gentlemen shook hands, Francouer's emotions overcame him for a moment. "I can't tell you how much this means, sir," he said. The pair told stories of their time spent in service and the locations where they were stationed. Although they had never met, the two shared the same sense of gratitude for their freedom — both the freedom they had fought for and the freedom that this accessible vehicle had afforded them.
We are incredibly humbled by this act of generosity by the Greenwald’s and for the tireless volunteer hours Francouer committed to making life easier for fellow Veterans.
BraunAbility Vehicles for Veterans
Francouer and Greenwald are two of many Veterans who have found mobility independence with a BraunAbility vehicle. BraunAbility proudly supports Veterans in reclaiming their mobility independence with a wheelchair accessible vehicle or mobility product. Each year, over 10,000 BraunAbility vehicles support the mobility needs of disabled Veterans. Resources are available to Veterans to make wheelchair accessible vehicles more affordable. To learn more about wheelchair vans for Veterans, visit our Veteran resources page.
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