12/03/2025
“Lionheart spoke life into me when I thought my life was over. They never forgot about me when others did. They gave me a chance when nobody else would.”
Meet Diana, one of The Lionheart Community's brightest stars!
In September 2023, a serious car accident injured Diana’s C4 spinal cord and left her with paralysis in most of her arms and legs. She spent weeks in a hospital where she developed painful pressure sores, and because of the sores no rehabilitation center would accept her. With her family unable to care for her at home at that time, Diana was moved to a skilled nursing facility.
For eight long months she rarely left her bed. She felt hopeless and wondered if life still had anything to offer her. She had a hard time seeing a path forward.
Then she found Lionheart.
When Diana joined one of our support groups and shared what she was going through, our community sprang into action. She had never received a power wheelchair, so she had almost no way to move on her own. Within days, Lionheart members located a gently used power chair from another member who had passed away, repaired it, and delivered it right to her room.
The first time Diana took the controls, she pushed the speed to maximum, zoomed straight into the door (on purpose!) to open it, and rolled outside into the sunshine. The smile on her face is something none of us will ever forget. A few days later we received a joyful video of her cruising around town with her brother, free for the first time in months. "It felt great getting the chair, I was able to move around. I could go out of my room and outside and actually see other things. My life was not over."
That one chair changed everything for her. It gave her hope and the spark she needed to fight for more.
With encouragement from The Lionheart Community members, Diana advocated for herself to be accepted into a specialized rehabilitation facility. Meanwhile, Lionheart also provided Diana's family a Hoyer lift, a hospital bed, and a standing frame so she could start to visit her family home to eventually transition back there.
After a long hard battle Diana was accepted into the rehabilitation facility and was finally able to get the physical and occupational therapy she needed. She learned to feed herself, to be more independent, and finally got equipment fitted for especially for her. Her family were able to receive the training necessary to transition Diana back home permanently.
Today she is building strength, mastering transfers, and dreaming big. Her future goals include: returning to outpatient therapy, moving out of the family home and living independently, and giving back to others the way our community gave to her.
This is the heart of Lionheart: opening a door just wide enough for someone to see new possibilities, then rolling alongside them as they move through it.
This Giving Tuesday, will you help us open more doors?
Every gift, no matter the size, helps us provide essential equipment, connect people to life changing resources, and surround them with a community that refuses to let them feel forgotten. And you can double your donation!
This season, we are incredibly excited to share that a generous supporter has pledged a $5,000 matching gift. Every dollar you donate will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling your impact and helping us reach even more individuals and families affected by paralysis. Your gift supports our support groups, adaptive recreation, wheelchair access, and the vital resources that empower our community to live fully and independently.
That means your $20 gift instantly becomes $40.
Your $50 gift instantly becomes $100.
Your $250 gift becomes $500.
Your $1,000 gift becomes $2,000
Helps us reach the full $5,000 match!
If you are looking for a meaningful way to give this holiday season, we invite you to be part of this matching opportunity and help us continue changing lives together.
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3WULHBBNZK7HA
https://donate.stripe.com/5kAcOS6cC3AQ0es5kk
