Alicia was a hard-working mom, that’s what five children will do for you! She and her husband were expecting their sixth child when Alicia contracted pink eye. The virus went crazy inside her body and attacked Alicia’s spinal cord.

On March 12, 2009, swelling around her spinal cord from the virus paralyzed Alicia!

As a result, Alicia became a quadriplegic, paralyzed at C5-7. That meant she no longer had use of her legs, or full use of her arm and hands. Alicia continued to use her marketing and graphic design background while working part-time and raising her children. She worked for several spinal cord organizations as a public relations communicator and public policy advocate, and for her church as an administrative assistant. When her husband left her with five children to raise, she started her own interior and graphic design company. She also became the marketing and social media manager for her brother’s company. Her brother is the owner of Neal’s Heating and Air Conditioning in Lafayette, Georgia. Alicia learned about the Joseph Groh foundation through the grant page of the United Spinal Association website. Joe is the blog writer and newsletter contributor for the North Texas chapter of the United Spinal Association. Alicia was simply looking for a concrete pad so that she would be able to get in and out of her vehicle more safely. She only had a small cement pad at the end of her ramp, and she had to line her vehicle up perfectly which was very difficult. It was also dangerous, if there was a gap when she transferred into and out of the vehicle.

Even though her request came when the foundation was unable to hold fundraisers because of the pandemic, your generous donations made Alicia’s grant possible!

After everything was completed, Alicia wrote, “Thank you so much!! It has already been so wonderful and safe. I had not found anyone that would help with my request, but now I can get out when it rains and not get stuck in the (Georgia) mud!