Sept 27, 2021

In 2009, Alicia Reagan was a hard-working mother of five. She and her husband were expecting their sixth child when Alicia unexpectedly contracted pink eye. In a shocking development, the virus went rampant inside her body, attacking Alicia’s spinal cord.

On March 12, 2009, Alicia's life dramatically changed. The virus in her body caused swelling around her spinal cord, paralyzing her at the C5-7 vertebrae level.

As a result, Alicia became quadriplegic, no longer having use of her legs, or full use of her arm and hands. Despite these challenges, Alicia has continued to use her marketing and graphic design background while working part-time and raising her children. She has worked for several spinal cord organizations as a public relations communicator and public policy advocate, and for her church as an administrative assistant. When her husband left her with five children to raise, she started her own interior and graphic design company. She also became the marketing and social media manager for her brother’s Georgia-based company, Neal’s Heating and Air Conditioning.

Alicia learned about the Joseph Groh Foundation online through the United Spinal Association, where Joseph Groh is a blog writer and newsletter contributor for the Association's North Texas chapter. In her application request, Alicia was simply looking for a concrete pad for her home driveway so that she could get in and out of her vehicle more safely. At the time, she only had a small cement pad at the end of her wheelchair ramp. This required her to carefully maneuver her vehicle to perfectly line up with the cement pad, which was very difficult. This also made it dangerous for her if there was a gap when she transferred into and out of the vehicle.

Even though her request came when the pandemic prevented the foundation to hold fundraisers, an influx of generous donations made Alicia’s grant possible!

After the construction was completed, Alicia was ecstatic. In a letter to the foundation, she wrote, “Thank you so much! It has already been so wonderful and safe. I had not found anyone that would help with my request, but now I can get out when it rains and not get stuck in the [Georgia] mud!"

Alicia's story is made possible through the generous donations made to the Joseph Groh Foundation. Light your beacon for others and become a Joseph Groh Foundation Luminary today.

^{The ramp and cement pad before the new pour.}

^{Putting down the base.}

^{The pour.}

^{The end result of Alicia's new driveway.}