Lowe's employees fix veteran's wheelchair
A Vietnam veteran who has given so much was the recipient of a good deed last week.
WABC reports when Michael Sulsona's wheelchair broke down last week in a Staten Island Lowe's, he planned on fixing it himself. But three employees politely refused to let that happen.
"They tore the wheelchair apart. They tried all different types of bolts. I was thanking them, and they said, 'You're not leaving here until the wheelchair is like new.'"
Sulsona wrote a piece for the Staten Island Advance about the gesture, saying he kept thanking the men he identified as David, Marcus and Souleyman. He says they simply replied, "It was our honor."
In its own analysis, the Staten Island Advance found at least two local residents who have offered Sulsona a brand-new wheelchair and many others who offered financial assistance.
It's a heartwarming story but also an embarrassing one for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sulsona says the VA kept him waiting two years for a new chair.
Tuesday, a new wheelchair from the VA finally arrived at Sulsona's home.
A VA spokesman issued a statement to BuzzFeed saying: "Too many Veterans wait too long to receive their care and benefits, and this has never been acceptable. Providing veterans like Mr. Sulsona the quality care and benefits they have earned through their service is our most important mission at the Department of Veterans Affairs."
As many viewers will remember, former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned just two months ago amid growing allegations of the administration's negligence and delays in providing care.
USA Today recently reported in the past 16 months, the VA has left 275,000 compensation requests pending for 125 days or longer. And that figure is actually a 55 percent improvement on backlogged requests.
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