Spencer Solves It: Navy vet left without wheelchair after ankle replacement surgery

It is just about the last thing in the world Navy veteran Camron Meredith thought he’d be doing, being reduced to being sponge-washed like a small child by his loving wife Zaina.

You see, Camron is a former, rough and tough and salty, chief petty officer, who served 20 years in the U.S. Navy.

Camron served in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout the middle east aboard the USS Shiloh.

But for two weeks now, this burly man has been unable to even leave his apartment, barely able to make it to the bathroom, after having a full ankle replacement on his left leg, courtesy of a severe injury that he went through while serving in the Navy.

“I just don’t have any way to get around.  I mean, I have a walker but I need something more, something that I can actually get around in.  There is a lot of stuff I need to get done.  I need to get back to work to support me and my wife”, Camron said.

The problem is after having ankle surgery 2 weeks ago at the VA Hospital, Camron says the Veteran’s Administration told him he would be provided with a wheelchair within 7 days.

The chair never came, so Camron’s wife called to complain and still nothing came.

After two weeks of waiting, that is when Zaina started writing every television station in Houston asking for help in getting her husband what he needed.

She says no one responded to her plea except for me.

“He should have left the hospital in a wheelchair.  So, I was like, where is his wheelchair?  What is going on?  What is happening here”, Zaina said.

“I just want some degree of freedom back and I need that chair to do that”, Camron said.

After talking to Zaina on the phone, I knew we had to act fast and so within 12 hours I located a company willing to lend Camron a power wheelchair for all of the time he needed it, roughly 2 months.

I contacted Tom Luc and Rey Manzano, two,  big-hearted men, filled with compassion for people, who own Triple M Mobility.

Triple M Mobility is a company that specializes in servicing and selling power wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

And when these two me heard what I had to say about Camron, they couldn’t wait to help him out.

“The system has failed Mr. Camron, so we feel we should step up and do the right thing for him”, Tom Luc said.

“He’s looking for some type of independency.  He wants to live his life and we are able to give that to him.  We have to help him”, Rey Manzano said.

So, after two weeks of being trapped, basically in a worn out recliner in his living room, with no way out, the Spencer Solves It team and Triple M Mobility delivered a shiny, three thousand dollar, heavy duty, power wheelchair to Camron and his wife Zaina.

After weeks of frustration and anger, finally a powerful moment of freedom for Camron, as he climbed aboard that power wheelchair and took off down the sidewalk in front of his apartment.

“I really appreciate everything you did Bill.  You got this chair for us in a moments notice.  What we struggled to get for 2 weeks, you made happen in less than a day.  I want to thank you and Tom and Rey and I want you to know that I really appreciate it”, Camron said.

Now, Camron can use that chair to get around until he is able to walk on his own again.

How long will that be?

Doctors have told him about 2 months.

The Spencer Solves It team wants to send it’s deepest thanks to Tom and Rey at Triple M Mobility for all of their compassion and generosity.


About the Author:

Emmy-winning investigative reporter, insanely competitive tennis player, skier, weightlifter, crazy rock & roll drummer (John Bonham is my hero). Husband to Veronica and loving cat father to Bella and Meemo.