News 12 at 6, June 3, 2008
BEECH ISLAND---A Beech Island woman who can't walk on her own anymore didn't take her disability lying down. In fact, she found a new way to get around, a scooter.
It's called www.microgiving.com. You can give a little to help out someone in need. And in Becky Raymond's case, she'd still be a shut-in if she hadn't found it.
For Becky, walking is a challenge that most can't relate to.
"I have osteoarthritis. The pain happened in one knee, the other knee, and then the hip. I fall a lot. Trip over things." she said.
Crutches used to be able to get her around, but after some recent falls she needed something else.
"It came to a point where I needed to do something." she said.
What she came up with is a scooter that can get her where she needs to be. But getting it wasn't easy.
You see, many scooters cost around a thousand dollars. For someone on disability, that's money that isn't easy to come by.
So Becky dug deep to find a way and what she found was a website called www.microgiving.com.
"You put in a request saying what you need." she said.
After some verification, your request is posted and people can make donations to help your cause.
The idea is everyone can make a small donation to help you get something you really need. All those small donations added up quickly for Becky.
"I had most within a week. Within 2 weeks I had all I needed." she said.
Every cent from complete strangers who just wanted to help.
"It put me to tears cause people care and cared enough to donated a bunch every day," she said.
It's a way for people like Becky who've lost so much, to get what they need on their own and regain some independence.
"I had to do this that I had the power to do on my own." she said.