Evan Lilley

Evan Lilley came to Vibra Hospital of Fargo after a long stay at Sanford Medical Center Fargo. Evan needed extended care after suffering severe injuries, resulting in bilateral above-the-knee amputations and a right arm amputation.

Since arriving at Vibra, Evan worked with his therapy team to increase his strength and heal his wounds. Because of his determination, Evan hit many recovery milestones, such as sitting up in a chair. Even though he was making progress, he still was unable to propel himself in a manual wheelchair.

Vibra’s wound care supervisor (WCS) went to HERO (Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization) on a personal visit and had a great experience with the staff. HERO plays a big role in the community. They are very grateful for the many donations they received during COVID-19, allowing them to keep their doors open. They welcomed our WCS into their warehouse to check out the devices they had. The tour was eye-opening and left our WCS with goosebumps knowing all the good that takes place within the HERO walls.

Towards the end of the tour, our WCS noticed they had an electric wheelchair with the controls on the left-hand side. Surprisingly, the wheelchair wasn’t spoken for and appeared to be the perfect chair for Evan. This chair has a reputation as “the Cadillac of electric wheelchairs” and our WCS was so excited to see if it would work for Evan. It felt like divine intervention that this chair was in the warehouse waiting for him.

Evan got measured by the Vibra physical therapy department for the chair, and it was a perfect fit! HERO even delivered the chair right to Evan’s room. This has been a wonderful blessing for his recovery. His independence has increased as he navigates life and develops his new normal. Vibra and Evan cannot thank HERO enough for their generous support and all the great things that they do for the community.