If you ask Tim Azinger about his Invacare AVIVA STORM RX power wheelchair, he’d say it’s more than just a chair. It’s an extension of his body–and literally a life saver.
The swing-away leg holders offer more support to help him maneuver around the house, doing small tasks like getting close enough to retrieve an item from the counter, moving room to room, or helping his wife Marsha and their two children. However, Tim never imagined that his power chair would one day play a crucial role in saving his and his wife’s lives.
In March 2024, as Marsha was getting ready to go pick up their daughter, the Azingers’ family van suddenly caught fire in their garage. Seeing and smelling smoke, Marsha called Tim, urging him to come quickly. With paralysis in both legs and partial use of her arms, getting out of the van typically takes Marsha some time and she needed to escape quickly.
Tim raced to the garage where he saw the interior of the van was in flames. Although his incomplete quadriplegia prevented him from just yanking Marsha out of the van, with the help of his power chair, he found a way.
Taking advantage of the stability of his power wheelchair, Tim leaned all the way over and used his chair’s armrest to steady his arm help Marsha lower herself onto his lap. The two quickly raced away from the building flames.
But Tim didn’t stop there. Knowing that Marsha’s manual wheelchair was still in the flame-engulfed van, Tim braved the fire again to retrieve it before returning to the house to help get the family dogs safely out.
Now, a year later, they are back in their rebuilt home, filled with love and gratitude.
