Teen Saves for Over 2 Years to Buy His Friend Electric Wheelchair
Written by SOURCE on March 6, 2019
Thanks to a friend’s selfless act, Brandon Qualls’ everyday life has gotten much, much easier.
The Arkansas teen had spent years using a self-propelled wheelchair to navigate the halls of his high school. Brandon told media outlets that the chair had become an inconvenience and would cause his arms to become “really tired.” But, as of last month, the student no longer has that problem.
In the last week of February, Brandon’s good friend Tanner Wilson presented him with a new electric wheelchair. Tanner had spent the last two years saving money from his part-time job at a car mechanic shop to purchase the much-appreciated upgrade.
“He’s just been a really good friend and I wanted to do him a favor,” Tanner said, according to CNN. “I just felt like I needed to do it. Brandon, he’s just always been there for me.”
A teacher at Caddo Hills High School helped personalize the new chair, adding Brandon’s last name on the headrest as well as orange flames on the fenders.
“They came in and my face just blew up, crying everywhere,” Brandon told KTHV. “Just like, ‘Wow, can’t believe he did that for me!'”
Tanner’s good deed has garnered national attention, and has inspired the teen to do more.
“[Tanner] had some bad experiences over the last year, so him being able to help somebody else has really brought him out—being able to know that he made a difference,” his mother, Colleen Carmack, told CNN. “And I can see a difference in him—like wanting to get out and do more. We’re talking about college. He’s had that goal, but he’s talking about it more now.”
