Spencer Solves It: Car repairs for disabled woman

CONROE, Texas – On a lonely, seldom-traveled road in Conroe, Barbara Martin and her 90-year-old mother, Iris, sit alone inside their home, the very same way they have spent every day for the past 2 1/2 years, indoors, alone and feeling trapped.

“It’s been like being in prison practically, you know with no way to get anywhere except for the doctors’ visits which Medicaid has taken us to,” Martin says.

The problem has been Martin's aging car, a 2000 Chevy Prizm. The car has been disabled for the last several years, undrivable and severely in need of repairs.

To make matters worse, a rip-off auto mechanic took $2,000 from Martin and her mother in 2015 promising to fix the car, but a few days after Martin got it back, it was drained of all oil and it died.

“It was all the money we had and I’ve been trying ever since to save it up again, but every time I get close something else goes wrong,” Barbara says, her voice starting to break.

Disabled with neuropathy in both legs and feet and caring fulltime for her mother who is battling Alzheimer’s disease, that’s when Martin decided to call Spencer Solves It for help.

And right away we contacted the car repair experts at Christian Brothers Automotive Woodlands-West.

With 35 years of experience in fixing cars and with over 180 stores nationwide, the pros at Christian Brothers went right to work overhauling every inch of Martin's ailing vehicle.

And what the mechanics at Christian Brothers found broken was just about everything.

In fact more than 30 parts needed to be repaired or replaced with new.

A small list of items Christian Brothers replaced includes new tires, new battery, new alternator, new fluid wash system, all new brakes, new door handles, a new headliner, new windshield and new headlights and wiring.

Jeff Toth, the owner of Christian Brothers Automotive Woodlands-West, says he was thrilled to help out.

“We seek to glorify God by providing ethical and excellent automotive repair services for our guests.  We want to give back to the community like this," Toth says.

As for Barbara and her mother, at last they have their freedom back.

“Thank  you so much, I’ve tried so many different places to get help and nobody would do anything.  I’m just so pleased Channel 2 came in to help, came to our rescue,” Martin says.

If you need help with a problem you can’t possibly solve by yourself, contact Spencer Solves It at 713-223-TIPS (8477) or email us at solvesit@click2houston.com.


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.