Stephan Bragg

Forty year-old Stephan Bragg of Lorton, Va., will be getting the gift of new wheels this holiday season, thanks to The Eric Fund. Stephan, who relies on his wheelchair to go everywhere, has been using the same chair for the past 10 years and both he and his father are tired of the constant repairs that it requires. The Eric Fund will be awarding him with a new Quickie/Breezy 600 wheelchair. 

His father, who is Stephan's primary caregiver, was thrilled to learn about his son's Eric Fund grant award. "The new wheelchair will eliminate the aggravation of having to constantly fix the old one," he said enthusiastically. "That thing had something go wrong with it every week!" The Breezy 600 is considered the best standard wheelchair on the market today. It's lighter and safer than Stephan's current chair, and comes with a number of options that can be customized to fit his needs.

Stephan, who has a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car accident in 1981, is partially paralyzed on his left side. In addition to freeing him of the hassle of repairing the old wheelchair, the new wheelchair will free Stephan from isolation and solitude by allowing him to go out in the community and make new connections.  He will no longer be dependent on his father to help him get around. 

The Eric Fund will also be awarding Stephan a new bath chair to replace the old one that he has been using for ten years.