Cancer survivor now battling ALS receives customized power wheelchair from Permobil Foundation before White Sox home game 

Event took place in Chicago as part of the 2^nd annual “Lou Gehrig Day” celebrations.

Nashville, TN, June 28, 2022 – In partnership with the Chicago White Sox, LiveLikeLou, and Phi Delta Theta, the Permobil Foundation surprised Michelle Gutierrez with her own team-branded, custom Permobil power wheelchair at the team’s home game on the weekend.

“We understand that Michelle received her ALS diagnosis just last year after already surviving Stage 3 ovarian cancer,” says Kathy Edson, associate executive director of the Foundation. “Her courage and positivity have been inspiring to those around her and we are so pleased to surprise this lifelong fan with a new Permobil M3 Corpus wheelchair with the custom White Sox colors and logo!”

Edson took part in the reveal on June 26 as part of the “Lou Gehrig Day” celebrations where Major League Baseball honors the late Lou Gehrig, the legendary Yankees player whose career was cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Todd Walling, senior vice president of sales for Permobil, saw Michelle’s emotional reaction firsthand: “We understand that living with ALS is a challenge by itself. This will be Michelle’s first power wheelchair, and we hope it will give her the support and independence she needs to live life with fewer limitations.”

“I am so grateful and honored to be chosen to receive my White Sox custom chair,” exclaims Michelle. “This was one of the best days of my life! Thank you to everyone who made this possible.”

Special thanks to Lori Maas, Permobil’s territory sales manager and Adam Hawks of NuMotion for assisting with this gift of mobility. The Foundation also recognizes the impactful partnerships with LiveLikeLou and Phi Delta Theta for raising funds and awareness for ALS, and helping to serve the needs of ALS families across the USA.

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, see photos of the wheelchair reveal here: Dropbox folder

and the official presentation video here: https://icnk.io/u/beRIObuu_CCO/

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 1,600 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.