Sunrise Medical Donates Quickie Q7 to Boating Accident Survivor
The survivor of a boating accident off the coast of Maine is the new owner of a Quickie Q7 manual wheelchair thanks to Sunrise Medical.
An incident on a construction job site four years ago caused Nicholas Masi to be paralyzed from the waist down. After the accident, Masi purchased a 24-foot Grady White boat — the Job Site 2 — and set about opening a charter boat business guiding fishing trips for wheelchair users.
But while fishing with three of his close friends in September, Masi and the Job Site 2 encountered changing wind and sea conditions. The boat flooded and eventually flipped. But Masi managed to equip his friends with survival suits and place a mayday call with their coordinates.
Half an hour later, a yacht pulled Masi and two of his friends from the water. Masi lost the medication that manages his chronic pain from the construction accident, his custom manual wheelchair and his best friend from childhood, Doug Isenberg.
While he was able to replace his medication, Masi faced another battle with his healthcare, boating and homeowners insurance companies trying to replace his wheelchair.
“When I read Nick’s story, I felt grateful to work in an industry and for a company that could help improve his situation,” said Steve Fox, director of clinical services at Sunrise Medical. “I called up Tim Morrison, one of our product managers out of Portland, Maine, and we got the ball rolling.”
Within days, Morrison met with Masi to fit him for a Quickie Q7 wheelchair.
“If Nick’s new chair can help get him back to his boat and following his dream, that is more than we could ask for,” said Morrison.
After receiving his new Q7, Masi wrote, “I can’t thank you enough for my new wheelchair. Thanks to you and your company, I can breathe a little easier.”