WEBVTT - On the couch: Mobility for Freedom helps disabled regain mobility and independence

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<v Speaker 1>Now.

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<v Speaker 2>Today's on the Couch interview is a reminder of two

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<v Speaker 2>things really, firstly of how life can change in an

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<v Speaker 2>instant but secondly of how one can find a way

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<v Speaker 2>to make a contribution even in the face of massive obstacles.

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<v Speaker 2>With me on the line is Villy Lawrence, who is

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<v Speaker 2>a former truck salesman whose life was turned upside down

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<v Speaker 2>by a motorbike accident not quite two years ago. Despite

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<v Speaker 2>facing massive physical and financial challenges, Really decided to build

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<v Speaker 2>something positive out of his experience. He turned his own

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<v Speaker 2>mechanical knowledge and sales expertise into a nonprofit which benefits

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<v Speaker 2>others like him who have suffered compromised mobility and who

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<v Speaker 2>need to have their sense of freedom and dignity and

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<v Speaker 2>independence restored to them. It's a huge pleasure to have

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<v Speaker 2>Really with us on the line to tell us his

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<v Speaker 2>own story, but also how that nonprofit is going. Villy Lawrence,

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to KEP Talk.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you very much. I'm delighted to be there.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you. Really, before let's talk about your life before

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<v Speaker 2>the accident. Before we get to how everything changed, just

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<v Speaker 2>tell us a little bit about yourself and what you

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<v Speaker 2>were doing before the day that changed everything.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I've been a King Baker all my life. And yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I came to cap Down about six years ago and

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<v Speaker 1>then I started doing the park rounds. We went Highking

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<v Speaker 1>and yeah, I was a very active man. But all

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<v Speaker 1>my life I've been a motorcyclist and I've been riding

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<v Speaker 1>for forty two years as a license.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, And you were working as a truck salesman, is

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<v Speaker 2>that correct?

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, I was starting for power store and if I

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<v Speaker 1>w in Nepal. Yeah, I was also instructor drivers to

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<v Speaker 1>take the new drivers on courses so that they can

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<v Speaker 1>then to drive truck.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So a job which was very hands on, and

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<v Speaker 2>I'm saying that very deliberately, as listeners will understand in

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<v Speaker 2>a moment, because everything about your life was changed on

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<v Speaker 2>the twenty sixth of November twenty twenty three. Willie tell

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<v Speaker 2>us what happened that day?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that was a terrible day for me. It started

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<v Speaker 1>off as a very beautiful day. It was a day

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<v Speaker 1>off the toy and yeah, Krone and that's the Biggause

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<v Speaker 1>get together called a cyclist in the country, Yes, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'll stay in So I decidedle I'm not going to

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<v Speaker 1>just take this short right so I wanted to to

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<v Speaker 1>take a Suni route and get some guys on the

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<v Speaker 1>way back. And on my way just before monstery On

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<v Speaker 1>in seven, I saw people overtaking her car on the

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<v Speaker 1>left hand side because she was traveling quite slowly in

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<v Speaker 1>the fast lane, and I moved in next to him,

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<v Speaker 1>and he deliberately pushed me off the road and I

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<v Speaker 1>went into the barrier, and it was immediate amputation. Smart

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<v Speaker 1>sure I came up and while they came off right

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<v Speaker 1>on the scene. And yeah, I don't know how they

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<v Speaker 1>got to me so quickly, because also that say I

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<v Speaker 1>should have read to death.

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<v Speaker 2>It's an astonishing thing, really, I mean appalling injuries like that.

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<v Speaker 2>To have survived at all is amazing. But the circumstances

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<v Speaker 2>of how that happened. Were you ever able to track

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<v Speaker 2>down the driver who caused those injuries? Was there any

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<v Speaker 2>kind of consequence for that person?

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<v Speaker 1>Not at all? You know before what they say they

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<v Speaker 1>especially on that piece of road, they've got scouts on

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<v Speaker 1>the side of the road, and then the guys in

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<v Speaker 1>the car. They travel and they look for soft targets

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<v Speaker 1>like a guy alone on a motorbile, all women tunning

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<v Speaker 1>on a car or a young girl driving a newly

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<v Speaker 1>bought car, and then fortune off the road and the

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<v Speaker 1>guys on the side roped them. Sure, and that's exactly

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<v Speaker 1>what happened to me at all. Down They were right day,

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<v Speaker 1>right there and then, and they grabbed everything that they

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<v Speaker 1>could want, money out of more pockets, and they tried everything,

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<v Speaker 1>and yeah, the card just got away.

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<v Speaker 2>That's absolutely appalling. Oh really, I mean to be lying

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<v Speaker 2>there fighting for your life and then have that happen

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<v Speaker 2>to you. I can't even begin to imagine. It's just

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<v Speaker 2>absolutely sickening to hear that. But this miraculous survival really

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<v Speaker 2>obviously at a huge cost. The loss of an arm

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<v Speaker 2>and a leg, that is a loss that changes your

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<v Speaker 2>ability to do everything in life, to navigate your job,

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<v Speaker 2>to navigate looking after yourself at home, your mobility, and

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<v Speaker 2>your ability to lead the life that you led before.

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<v Speaker 2>Tell us a little bit about the immediate sort of

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<v Speaker 2>recovery period and what you faced as you came to

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<v Speaker 2>terms with those injuries.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, as I woke up, are just so, well, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't have an armorer, I don't have a leg anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>And yeah, I've been an entrepreneur all my life, so

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<v Speaker 1>I've most of the time, I was working for myself

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<v Speaker 1>my life, and I didn't look well well after my

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<v Speaker 1>old age. So I was worried straight away, Yo, how

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<v Speaker 1>am I going to work for the next ten years

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<v Speaker 1>or so? And that's when I decided, well, yeah, I

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<v Speaker 1>have to make a plan. And while my ideas was

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<v Speaker 1>running out, I didn't know how to do it. But

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<v Speaker 1>then I bought a mobility scooter for myself after I

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<v Speaker 1>got a and that just just changed my world because I,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, you know, wheel chair, I can't even pushed

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<v Speaker 1>myself with only a left and you just go in circles.

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<v Speaker 1>And yeah, so I was, yo, you don't you don't

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<v Speaker 1>know what it goes like. But then when I got

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<v Speaker 1>to scooter, everything changed, and I said to my key giver,

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<v Speaker 1>I was fortunate to have a key giver. She looked

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<v Speaker 1>after my mother until she passed, and then, as I say,

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<v Speaker 1>I organized their job, so she's looking she's actually still

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<v Speaker 1>looking after me because it's a lot of things that

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<v Speaker 1>are a lot of things that are still can't do

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<v Speaker 1>for myself. But then I say to your well, this

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<v Speaker 1>is what I'm going to do. I'm going to help

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<v Speaker 1>people get the scooters and make a plan to just

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<v Speaker 1>get people going after accident. You know, it's so easy

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<v Speaker 1>to go into depression and you really don't know how

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<v Speaker 1>to get out of that depression. You need something to

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<v Speaker 1>pick you up. And Manderlord Mobility scooter picked me up.

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<v Speaker 1>But everybody is not fortunate to have thirty thousand and

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<v Speaker 1>ran to go and buy a scooter. And so first

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<v Speaker 1>of all, I became an agent for Indiarra mobility products

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm selling the they will chase and mobility scooters

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<v Speaker 1>and all the mobility aids and and also but ye see,

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<v Speaker 1>when the people happened going to an accident, it is

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<v Speaker 1>very very difficult for them to just quickly take out

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<v Speaker 1>the teachers and learn to buy a scout or something.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's the idea of the nonprofit came from because

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<v Speaker 1>I need to sell this. The scooters disurvived. That's why

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<v Speaker 1>brand and butter and that's why we started as in

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<v Speaker 1>PC to to bark from me. If we see somebody

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<v Speaker 1>using difficulty, especially bikers, but everybody else using difficulty, we

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<v Speaker 1>try and help him with a mobility scouter or a

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<v Speaker 1>wheel chair or crutch or even a date for the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Immediately our thinkue it's how we are a hospital and

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<v Speaker 1>that's what we got to do. We start doing fundraisers.

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<v Speaker 1>We did our first Rightful Mobility rap up for Recovery

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<v Speaker 1>motorcycle run and we added that one hundred bucks that

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<v Speaker 1>came together and we all travel everybody both T shirts

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<v Speaker 1>and badges, and you know, we might have got twelve

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<v Speaker 1>thousand grand on that day. Then we got two pool

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<v Speaker 1>days or what, well, let's day at Stations club, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>let's stub and they we get the people to come

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<v Speaker 1>and play competitive pull and when some magic process we

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<v Speaker 1>get sponsored process and that's how we get our money in.

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<v Speaker 1>But we're not really making money yet, but we're working

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<v Speaker 1>on that. And that's what the thing Actors is giving

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<v Speaker 1>me the opportunity to can to do is to tell

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<v Speaker 1>the people people. So if you want to contribute towards

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<v Speaker 1>this NPC, we've got a bank account that you can

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<v Speaker 1>find some money in or just give me a call.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll give you my son. And that's the easiest way

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<v Speaker 1>because I don't have everything on me at the moment,

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<v Speaker 1>the banking details and so on. And support us. We

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<v Speaker 1>also in the crisis says of getting the eighteen form

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<v Speaker 1>that you can do, that we can you can deduct

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<v Speaker 1>toward contribution of your text that we don't have in place.

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<v Speaker 1>It as you know about this is a very new company.

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<v Speaker 1>I had by accident now seventeen months ago, so it's

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<v Speaker 1>a very new thing. But we're going from strengths strings.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm so glad to hear it, Philly. And you've called

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<v Speaker 2>it mobility for freedom. Is that correct?

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<v Speaker 1>Mobility for feedram dot or o RG.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So somebody wants to find your Facebook page or

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<v Speaker 2>your website, they're searching for Mobility for Freedom NPC, a

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<v Speaker 2>registered nonprofit in the process of getting all the ducks

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<v Speaker 2>in a row for Section eighteen tax deductible forms. But

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<v Speaker 2>most importantly, Revilly is to spread the word that this

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<v Speaker 2>is the vision of being able to help those who

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<v Speaker 2>are not fortunate enough to be able to help themselves

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<v Speaker 2>because it is so expensive to buy these aids. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>you've spoken about how that mobility scooter was the light

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<v Speaker 2>that helped pull you out of depression and pick you

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<v Speaker 2>up to find the courage to go forward. Billy, What

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<v Speaker 2>does it enable you to do that you weren't able

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<v Speaker 2>to do before? Can we maybe just give a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of practical examples?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh? Yes, you know I started doing a park round.

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<v Speaker 1>It was really very much fun for me to parkround,

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<v Speaker 1>to hike, to hide motobiks, and yes, as I said,

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<v Speaker 1>motorbikes is my life. I've been riding all my life.

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<v Speaker 1>And yeah, all those things just was just taken away.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't go and walk on the beach anymore. I

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<v Speaker 1>can't go and put my feet in the water. There's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of things that I can't do. But our

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<v Speaker 1>by pieces that that is such just something that you

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<v Speaker 1>have to work through. And the thing makes with the

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<v Speaker 1>mobility Aid, it gives you the freedom to go and

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<v Speaker 1>drive on the pier or drive on the pavement. Even

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<v Speaker 1>though you can't walk or run or anything, you can

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<v Speaker 1>still do participate in things. If you've got an eight

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<v Speaker 1>even if it's a normal wheelchair, if you can't even

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<v Speaker 1>electrical thing, even normal wheelchair, to put somebody in and

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<v Speaker 1>go and go for a walk, go and sit up

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<v Speaker 1>setting right here next to you see at the moment,

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<v Speaker 1>looking at the waves, and that gives that gives you

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<v Speaker 1>the freedom to feel I'm still alive. I'm still alive,

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<v Speaker 1>and that makes all the difference.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm so delighted that that freedom has been blessed to

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<v Speaker 2>you villian, that you've made the effort to try and

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<v Speaker 2>share that with others who are in a similar position.

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<v Speaker 2>We wish you the best of luck. I hope that

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<v Speaker 2>this interview might spark some interest from potential donors and

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<v Speaker 2>at least get people to keep an eye on your

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<v Speaker 2>Facebook page for news on future fundraising events, etc. If

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<v Speaker 2>they'd like to support this work. Most of although, we

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<v Speaker 2>wish you all the best. Billy Lawrence, thank you for

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<v Speaker 2>sharing your story with us on the show this afternoon.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's a great pleasure, and thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 2>It's my pleasure. Billy Lowrence the founder of Mobility for Freedom,

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<v Speaker 2>a nonprofit that is trying to help other victims of

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<v Speaker 2>accidents and disability of some kind to get them back mobile,

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<v Speaker 2>regaining some sense of independence through the access to independent

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<v Speaker 2>mobility aids. If you would like to support them, to

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<v Speaker 2>google Mobility for Freedom NPC.