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Via Rider Gets Help on Her Journey

Sharon M. had lost her balance before, but on this particular day in the winter of 2022, she fell hard. She had been using a walker to maneuver in her home, but the fall broke the fibular bone in her leg. 

The injury upended her life. Despite extensive rehab, Sharon, 67, will be using a wheelchair moving forward. Since she could no longer stand or maneuver herself, selling her car was inevitable. “It was rough emotionally to give it up,” she admits, “and not be able to ride along in my sister’s car, either.” 

Sharon learned about Via’s accessible transportation services at a senior center and has been using it for medical appointments. “Getting rides for medical appointments through Via means a whole lot to me. It is so important to my health,” she said.

Sharon recently discovered that the rides aren’t restricted to just medical appointments. She can ride with Via for any kind of activity that promotes her independence and well-being. She’s excited about going out to lunch with her sister and engaging with the world outside more. 

Sharon enjoys having conversations with the variety of drivers who serve her. “We talk about all kinds of things! The drivers are professional, courteous, and friendly,” she said, “and they always ask about my comfort – making sure I’m warm or cool enough. They even help my sister who rides with me for my doctor appointments. If it’s icy outside, they help her to the shuttle.”

Sharon was raised in Kentucky—the horse capital of the world—but her passion has always been for music. Her attraction to the art form was cultivated in the church, leading to a love for choral music and singing. She attended bible college in Houston, Texas, to study church music, with the dream of leading a choir.

Life took a different route, however, but music never left her. Sharon moved to Colorado after college to live with her brother – a minister – and his family. She quickly joined his church and began singing in the choir.

Sharon worked for a trucking company to pay the bills, but music and church life remained a passion. She later married and had two children – a boy and a girl. They are now grown up with children of their own and Sharon’s husband, who was Japanese, has passed away.

Even though Sharon can’t get around as well as she once could, she wants to continue laughing, sharing, and connecting to others for a good life. “Sometimes you just need to put yourself out there,” she said. Via will help her on that journey. 

 

When you donate to Via Mobility Services, you’re helping to enrich the lives of friends, neighbors, and family with mobility limitations. 

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There is now a Mid-day Lyons Flyer run. It starts in Boulder at 12:00 at New Vista High School and leaves Lyons at 12:50 from 4th & Railroad.