Disability advocate with ALS receives customized power wheelchair from Permobil Foundation before Giants home game

Disability advocate with ALS receives customized power wheelchair from Permobil Foundation before Giants home game

At the Giants game on June 2^nd, a specially branded power wheelchair was presented to Osiel Mendoza as part of annual “Lou Gehrig Day” celebrations.

Nashville, TN, June 6, 2023 – In partnership with the San Francisco Giants, LiveLikeLou, and Phi Delta Theta, the Permobil Foundation gave Osiel Mendoza his own team-branded, custom Permobil power wheelchair as part of the Lou Gehrig celebrations before the game started.

“Osiel has lived with ALS for years with courage and strength. He had no idea we would be surprising him with a new M3 Corpus wheelchair with the Giants’ bold orange colors and logos!” says Ashley Davis, executive director of the Permobil Foundation. “We are also honored to have been a part of the Lou Gehrig Day celebrations this past week and to partner with Major League Baseball to help raise awareness in the fight against ALS.”

Osiel was overjoyed and stated, “I'm very grateful and honored to have received a brand-new custom wheelchair from the amazing team at Permobil and the San Francisco Giants. I've always had loaned wheelchairs since I was diagnosed with ALS, so I feel very lucky to have my very own now. Despite the challenges that ALS inevitably causes, life with my new wheelchair will be limitless and I can't wait to travel the world in it. My mission is to do whatever I can to help find cures and treatments for ALS and this wheelchair is going to help me do exact that.”

“We hope this one-of-a-kind chair will give Osiel the support and independence he needs to live life with fewer limitations,” continues Davis. “Our goal is to ensure that every person has the right to mobility, and through impactful partnerships such as LiveLikeLou and Phi Delta Theta, we help fulfill those needs.”

Special thanks to Permobil reps Melissa Bourque and Dwayne Reeves, as well as Eric Larson of National Seating & Mobility, for assisting with this gift of mobility. The Mendoza family was also grateful for the support they’ve received from the ALS Association.

The Permobil Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by empowering strength and independence to provide support and services so individuals can live a life without limitations. Permobil also fast tracks every ALS chair order through production to ensure each ALS patient gets their custom Permobil wheelchair without any delay.

Courtesy of MLB Advanced Media/San Francisco Giants, see photos and presentation video here:

https://sfgiants.box.com/s/2k76ym9vnd283eu86b9kyewl53a5rra5

For more information, please contact:
Ashley Davis, Executive Director Permobil Foundation

Tel: 615-973-4644

Email: ashley.davis@permobil.com

About the Permobil Foundation: As the philanthropic arm of Permobil, the Permobil Foundation believes that regardless of disability, every individual deserves a chance to reach their dreams without limitations. Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by empowering strength and independence through community support, employee engagement, and working in partnership with non-profit organizations, the Foundation provides support and services through the gift of mobility. For more information, visit PermobilFoundation.org  

About Permobil: Permobil founder Dr. Per Uddén believed that helping individuals achieve the greatest level of independence is a basic human right and, for over 50 years, that has been the driving force behind our innovative assistive technology. Permobil is a trusted leader of advanced healthcare solutions because we are dedicated to understanding our users’ needs and improving their quality of life. These solutions include power wheelchairs, seating and positioning products, power assist, and manual wheelchairs. Permobil is part of Patricia Industries, a subsidiary of Investor AB and is headquartered in Sweden. Permobil has 1,700 team members in more than 15 countries around the world. For more information regarding the company’s storied history and complete product line visit permobil.com.

About LiveLikeLou: The LiveLikeLou Foundation is committed to making an impact on ALS research while it supports the children of families affected by ALS. Our impact is focused on facilitating learning amongst ALS researchers, supporting innovative research centers, and giving children of ALS families life-enhancing experiences and financial assistance as they pursue higher education dreams.

About Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity: Phi Delta Theta presents the Lou Gehrig award annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, a member of the Fraternity’s Columbia University chapter. The award was first presented in 1955 and is permanently maintained at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

About Osiel Mendoza (recipient): Osiel Mendoza is an avid Giants fan. Osiel was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig disease, in 2016 during his senior year of college. Despite the fast progression of ALS he finished the school year and was chosen as the Sports Business Student of the Year. He married his middle school sweetheart, Bella, in 2017 and as his disease as progressed and he lost the ability to walk, talk, and do so many things he loved, he found the courage to fight with his amazing family by his side.  Osiel and his brother, Victor, are huge sports fans and watch and attend as many games as possible. Osiel found new purpose in life and looks at ALS as a positive milestone along his journey, with one goal, to stay strong and get the finish line of ending ALS.

Social Media:

Facebook: @PermobilFoundation

Twitter: @PermobilCares

Instagram: @PermobilFoundation

#PermobilCares