Hi, I'm representing our church family to in an effort to purchase a handicapped vehicle and to ease the burden of our dear friends John and Rachel Edge. In 1952, during the worst polio outbreak in U.S. history, 57,000 people were infected, 21,000 were paralyzed and 3,100 died – most of them children. John Edge was one of these infected children. John was born in Texas and diagnosed with Polio in 1954 at just 18 months old. Because of a shortage of the Polio vaccine in the Mid-West during this time, the government policy was that no one received the vaccine until a family member contracted the disease. John was patient zero for his family. Soon after his diagnosis, John was placed in foster care and eventually adopted by a caring couple that he cherished as his loving parents. At an early age, John learned to walk with braces and crutches, eventually becoming independent of the crutches. John never let his disability discourage him from graduating high school and attending college. Never receiving a disability payment and determined to provide his own way in life, John worked from the age of 16 until he retired from the Army Corps of Engineers after 23 years of dedicated service in 2011. Polio left John crippled in his left leg which is three inches shorter than the right leg. He also wears a size three shoe on his left foot and a size eight on the right. The complications of the weaker left leg have forced the burden of maneuverability and the load of weight distribution upon the right leg, the good leg. Now, after 65 years the good leg has become disabled from a series of falls that eventually led to a torn tendon in 2024. During pre-op labs before the surgery for repairing the torn tendon it was discovered that the damaged tendon in John’s good leg contained Polio, therefore rendering the leg inoperable. This setback has left John dependent upon a wheelchair. Even now John is determined to live his life to the fullest and seeks independence to do so on his own. The right foot still has enough mobility to allow him to drive a vehicle without any special modifications, and he continues to do so with the help of his wife Rachel assisting him in and out of the car. John does have a rack on the back of his vehicle but relies on Rachel to lift, fasten and remove the wheelchair for his access. This task is necessary in all weather conditions and is a cumbersome burden on Rachel. John has lived a generous life of giving back to his community. A committed leader with an inspiring commitment to the causes of the disabled in Southeastern North Carolina, John was a volunteer and board member for the March of Dimes, co-chair of the Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, and a founder and board member of the Wilmington Miracle League. Known for their positive attitudes and warm smile, John and Rachel live a life of faith and are active members of Town Creek Baptist Church. John and Rachel are seeking to raise funds through donations to afford a handicap-accessible vehicle to allow John to continue to go and do for himself and others the same way that reflects the unselfish story of his life. All donations will go to the purchase of a handicapped vehicle.
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