Our Story

 Life experiences help shape the people we become.  In my case, my experience not only shaped who I am personally, but it also led me to create WellWay.  My story begins with my father who became paralyzed after spinal surgery.  I was a teenager at the time, and the shock and anguish of seeing my dad, a vital and athletic man, suddenly dependent on others for everything, was overwhelming.  I knew nothing about how to care for him, and my family and I grappled with the many aspects of caring for a person with serious mobility challenges. There were meetings with his healthcare providers, physical therapists and other medical professionals who helped us prepare for his return home.  We learned how to lift and move him into his wheelchair and his hospital bed, and we were trained in a host of other logistical and practical issues faced by patients and caregivers.  By the time my father was ready to come home, we felt reasonably prepared for many of the daily tasks we would encounter. 

Unfortunately, one crucial aspect of his care seemed to have been overlooked. While family training focused on almost every detail of his care, it did not prepare us for the challenges that would come with arranging transportation to and from his medical appointments.  We were told about non-emergency transportation services, and we believed these services would be reliable and easy to access.  The reality turned out to be much different.  From my dad’s initial appointments, the difficulties of finding dependable transportation became apparent.  My father’s condition required frequent visits to a variety of physicians, therapists and other services. Despite booking transportation well in advance of his appointments, many times the services either did not show up at all, or they arrived late, resulting in missed appointments and a lack of consistent follow-up with dad’s physicians and medical team. In addition to a lack of reliability, some personnel demonstrated a lack of respect and understanding for my dad and his unique needs.  It seemed that for many, providing transport for disabled patients was just a job, and few attempts were made to help dad maintain his dignity during these trips.  These ongoing issues eventually led to my family’s purchase of a specially equipped van to transport Dad.  While the purchase solved the problem of unreliable transportation, it did require us to learn the intricacies of safe transportation for physically disabled people.   Since I was of legal driving age, and I was able to manage the physical demands of loading and unloading dad while he remained in his wheelchair, I became the primary driver and caregiver for my father’s numerous medical appointments.  For the next ten years, I continued to help care for dad and to provide transportation to his medical appointments.  

My dad passed away in 2020, and I treasure those years on the road with him.  I learned so much about Dad, but I learned even more about myself. I experienced first-hand the importance of safe, reliable and compassionate transportation for those with physical disabilities. I saw how the seemingly simple act of going to the doctor could turn into a logistical and emotional nightmare for patients and their families. The anxiety of waiting for a ride that never arrives, or arrives too late, and the anguish of watching a loved one being treated indifferently by often poorly trained strangers, affected our entire family.  We were fortunate to be able to solve this problem by purchasing our own van, but I realized that many families did not have this ability, and their only option was to rely on non-emergency transportation services. Medical appointments are not optional, but my experience taught me that some people will avoid scheduling critical appointments because of the challenges of getting there.  I resolved that one day, I would form a company whose sole mission would be to provide this critical non-emergency service for physically disabled people and their families with a focus on compassion and respect for everyone.  No one should dread a doctor’s appointment simply because the process of getting there and back is fraught with anxiety and uncertainty. This is WellWay’s purpose and mission.