When he was 16, Lawrence McNutt was in a car accident that left him with a broken neck and extensive nerve damage. He was told he might not survive the night, let alone walk again. Not only did he pull through, but at 73 years old, he continues to defy their prognosis, partially thanks to Diptee Pathak!
Diptee is in the final year of her doctoral program in physical therapy, and Lawrence is one of her patients. She has always been in awe of his resilience and determination, so when he fell down while using his walker, she knew he would want to get right back up again. The only problem was he needed the right equipment to do it.
Diptee’s passion for physical therapy stems from her own experience as a patient. She was born with Erb’s palsy, which caused nerve damage in one of her arms. She spent plenty of time working through her condition and has since recovered, and now she wants to help other people heal.
In Lawrence’s case, the problem wasn’t that he suddenly couldn’t walk; it was that he was using a walker that was too small for him. He needed a wider frame to provide him with more stability, but walkers aren’t cheap and insurance isn’t always helpful with medical equipment.
But thanks to some crowdsourcing by Diptee, Lawrence got a new walker, completely free of charge!
In addition to finishing up her degree and working with patients, Diptee took it upon herself to use the power of social media to help more senior citizens who need medical equipment like walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. She asked friends and family members to donate their unused equipment or donate through her GoFundMe to help purchase these crucial tools instead.
“Over the last few years, I have seen many problems arise in our community … patients having broken or loose brakes on their rollators, not having footrests on their wheelchairs, or just having wobbly old walkers,” she wrote on Instagram. “This is all increasing their risk for falls. In many of these cases, people living in low-income areas may not have the funds or ability to purchase these necessary items.”
Since her initial request, she has collected more than 50 pieces of medical equipment for her patients and has been amazed by her neighbors’ response.
This is good news in and of itself, but she said it’s even better right now because the pandemic has limited how many people are donating items like this to larger organizations.
Diptee is truly dedicated to her work and has done so much good before even finishing her program. With her passion, there’s no telling how much more positivity she will put into the world as her career progresses!
Learn more about her work in the video below, and consider donating to her GoFundMe here. Don’t forget to share her story with your friends to spread the word.
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