No stranger to publicity, Brenden Adams has been recognized as the world’s tallest teenager by the Guinness Book of World Records. He has been a guest on national TV shows like Oprah, discussing his rare medical condition, a chromosome disorder that caused him to grow at an accelerated rate. He has even hung out with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. He is a rare young man in more ways than one.
Some teenagers dread going to school and attending classes, but not Adams. Unfortunately, his unusual medical condition has made daily activities that many take for granted, a difficult proposition. Adams experiences severe pain and physical exhaustion from trying to move his 7′ 4.6″ frame with enlarged, deteriorating joints around his school campus. He pushes himself to the brink of collapse and sometimes requires a full week of complete bed rest to recover, forcing him to miss school and putting him behind in his studies. His parents realize that he really wants to stay in school, so they contacted The SCOOTER Store for assistance. The company researched and reviewed all the normal options for obtaining power mobility with Adams’ parents, but it soon became evident to the employee-owners involved that the family needed special consideration.
Today, The SCOOTER Store along with the ADL Foundation, provided Adams with a Pride Hurricane four-wheel personal mobility vehicle at his home in Ellensburg. The scooter was donated under The SCOOTER Store Gift of Mobility program, which provides mobility equipment and assistance to those who do not have the financial resources or insurance to obtain power wheelchairs and scooters. On hand from the company’s Seattle operations was Assistive Technology Professional, K.C. Clark to make the presentation.
“Brenden is a special teenager with a sincere desire to be in school and with his friends. Now, he can concentrate on his education and social opportunities, not on his mobility limitations,” said Doug Harrison, founder, president and CEO of The SCOOTER Store. “We started the Gift of Mobility program because we understand that mobility, and the independence it provides, improves quality of life, which is especially important for someone as young as Brenden. We hope the scooter helps him complete his schooling and experience life to its fullest.”
Adams can now more easily maneuver the hallways at school and consider attending college after he graduates. He won’t have to worry about getting around campus and conserving his energy for schoolwork. This gift of power mobility will allow him to go to school, visit friends, hang out and navigate around his community.
“The Gift of Mobility is a gift that puts a smile on your face every day,” said Alvin LeMar, founder and director of the nonprofit ADL Foundation based in Arizona. “Living without mobility is very depressing. I know firsthand because I was homebound for over a year and a half before I got help from a post-polio organization in Southern California almost 15 years ago. I know that Mr. Adams will have a great burden lifted from him, when he receives this scooter from The SCOOTER Store. Happy motoring, Mr. Adams!”
Harrison and his wife, Susanna, started the Gift of Mobility program in December 2002 to help people improve their quality of life by assisting in achieving their independence and mobility. Since then, the outreach program has worked with nonprofit groups around the country to donate power wheelchairs, scooters and manual wheelchairs with a retail value in excess of $300,000 per year to individuals and community service organizations enabling them to provide freedom and independence to people with limited mobility.