We just wanted to thank you for donating your van to the National MS Society for Weekend Escape. It was definitely put to good use and helped out so many of our participants.

Thanks again!
Kristen and Larry (Thank you all so much!)

I can’t thank you enough!
Thank you so very much for all your help. Thank you for recommending the go-kart harness. Seth likes riding in his new seat. Now that he is positioned upright, he just looks around and seeing a new world to him. It is so much easier getting him in and out of the van. The seat is working out super and I really like it.

Thanks for everything!
Pam Looney
P.S. Many thanks to the guys who installed the seat. Great job! Thanks!

It has been my privilege to have bought a van fitted with a wheelchair ramp for my mother who has been disabled from a stroke. Carries was extremely informative and helpful in making the selection and purchasing the van. The service has been excellent. She has picked up my mothers’ van for repair and brought it back home when we were unable to. I referred a friend whose mother had recently fallen and had unexpectedly been unable to walk throughout her home. Carrie lent her a scooter to use after hours to see if it would have been of benefit to her mother. She allowed her to try it before she purchased it. As it turned out, her mother was unable to navigate it throughout her home. Such customer service is unheard of in our busy and hectic culture. A few weeks ago, my mothers’ van broke down with her caretaker driving. They called Carrie and she immediately sent a mechanic to pick up the van and gave her a loaner van to get her home and use until her van was repaired. Carrie goes the extra mile to support the customers that she serves. Because of her caring and dedicated work, I would highly recommend her for the State Quality Dealer of the Year. I have never seen or heard of a dealer who gives such personal treatment to their clients.

Mary K. Hill

To whom it may concern,

In September 2002, I purchased a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country Van from Carrie Weeks, owner of Independent Lifestyles, 4880 Amherst Highway, Madison Heights, Virginia 24572 for my daughter Patricia Coles. She has been confined to a wheelchair for 48 years and relies on this vehicle for her transportation.

Carrie and her staff have looked after us even after the sale. When a lady ran into the van and it was in the shop for repairs, Carrie came every day for a week and transported Patricia back and forth to The Arc of Virginia and when my van needs servicing, one of the staff will come and pick it up and later return it to me. Carrie and her staff are always kind, thoughtful and understanding. They are always willing to be of help to us.

I would recommend if anyone needs special equipment for individuals with special needs to consider going to visit Carrie and her staff at Independent Lifestyles. They are wonderful people to deal with and they will always give everyone the best of care. My daughter, Patricia, and I have more than enjoyed our van and it has brought us a lot of pleasure. Dealing with Carrie Weeks and her staff have and continue to be a joy and a pleasure.

Sincerely,
Pearl Marie N. Coles

I have been doing business with Independent Lifestyles for over 2 years and they are great. Carrie is a very personal and likeable person. Anytime I have had a problem with my power chair or van, she has always been ready to do whatever is necessary and with a smile, which means a lot to me.

One example, my chair broke down on Saturday. I called her cell phone and she was here within an hour with a technician to check out my chair.

She is just an easy person to deal with and talk to about your problems. She is very professional and friendly in her job. I consider Carrie a friend as well as someone I can call when I have problems with my chair and van. She is always ready to do whatever she can to help you.

Sincerely,
Maxine Holt

This little note is long overdue, but Dale and I wish to express our thanks and appreciation for the many ways you have helped us since buying our Toyota Conversion Van from you.

First of all, it was a pleasure to deal with you, as you were very helpful and didn’t pressure us in any way, but explained all the details regarding the van. You were most helpful with dealing with the VA in Richmond and even went with us to discuss the equipment needs for handicap driving, etc. All the paperwork was done by you and we are grateful for that!!

We had a problem with the air conditioning and you took care of that for us, and even left one of your vans at our home in case we needed one while ours was being repaired. I don’t know another dealer who would do that.

Also, when we needed a ride home from the hospital, you were there to help in any way you could. I don’t know another dealer who would do that either!

You have made our life easier in so many ways and we are most grateful.

Our special thanks,
Dale and Adelle Ladd

To Whom It May Concern:
I have dealt with Independent Lifestyles for about five years now as my mobility specialists for services both for my van mobility (pedals and scooter lift installation) and scooter purchase and maintenance.
I have always found Ms Carrie Weeks to be informative, caring, understanding of my personal disability limitations (not to mention fear of negotiating my scooter on and off ramps!) and considerate of my individual health problems (post-polio syndrome, arthritis, and fibromyalgia), which will necessitate adapting my mobility equipment requirements over the years to come. I am quite confident that Ms Weeks will be there, willing and able to assist me with my mobility requirements, as always. Indeed, Ms Weeks helped me with my health insurance providers who kept delaying reimbursement for my new scooter for months. They kept telling me they were trying to get in touch with the service provider. When I mentioned this to Ms Weeks, she had her staff call them and the problem was sorted out within a week. To my mind this is service above and beyond the call of duty, proving to me that I am not just a customer but a valued member of their mobility family.
I was always impressed with workplace atmosphere and the camaraderie amongst the staff at Independent Lifestyles and have personally observed Ms Weeks’ interaction with her staff, both office staff and shop mechanics, when they had queries about products or adaptive possibilities. I always leave their premises feeling that all is well with the world. I believe I have not only found a competent and carting mobility service provider, but also understanding friends. It is not easy being disabled and it is rare to find any able-bodied people so understanding as is Ms Weeks and her staff. I would not hesitate to recommend their services to anyone in need. Actually people come up to me in shopping malls to ask where I got my scooter (I tell little children it is a Power Ranger and they are very much impressed!) and I tell them to go to Independent Lifestyles even though it is in Madison Heights, it is well worth the drive because the staff and manager are so good at what they do.
Yours sincerely,
Mai Start
Locust Grove, VA.

To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to write you a few lines to tell you about a friend that I have.
Her name is Carrie Weeks and she works for Independent Lifestyles in Madison Heights, Virginia.
I am a disabled senior citizen on a limited fixed income and have had problems with my legs for many year since a 5 ton beam fell an my foot. In 20001 I acquired a Hove round and it began to show a lot of wear, so I purchased a Sonic Scooter from Carrie in 2003. This was a wonderful experience for me, because she was kind and very concerned that everything was handled as professionally as it should be. Over the years I have had repairs done to the lift on my Van, purchased parts and even had the Hover round rebuilt at her store. I have never had such an experience in dealing with anyone as I have with Carrie. She always has a smile and genuinely concerned about you as an individual and not as a dollar sign.
I wish all the experiences I had with dealers in the past would have been as pleasant as dealing with Carrie and her crew.
Thank you,

William E. Tomlin
Monroe, VA

To Whom It may Concern:
My accident which caused me to become a quadriplegic was over five years ago.
Approximately a week after my accident Carrie was helping us. Returning home from the hospital one day, my wife Sherry noticed a business for handicapped accessibility called Independent Lifestyles. She stopped in and talked to Carrie for approximately three hours, laughing, crying, learning a lot about spinal cord injuries, and being comforted. Over the next few weeks, almost every time, Sherry passed by she would stop in and talk to Carrie.
When I came home from the hospital and acute rehabilitation, we soon discovered we were housebound without a handicapped accessible van. Not realizing Carrie's business was to sell new and used vans, we bought what we thought was a bargain used van. Within a few months, we began to experience problems with the van. Carrie worked with us to keep the van running, offering advice and making repairs, sometimes at no cost.
When it became obvious that we needed a new van, she worked with us holding our hand during the entire process. She helped with all of the paperwork to obtain funding from the state and from the Veterans Administration. She loaned us a new van for almost four months while we evaluated various vans. She even purchased a new brand (Pontiac) van to put on her a lot, because it might be more suited to us. It wasn't, so she helped
us order a different van and have it modified by putting on a raised roof. When the van returned from modification, she had her personnel spend a day inspecting and documenting poor quality and damage done by the people who modify it. Then she let us look at it and we found more poor quality items. She made up a list of items and called the owner of the company which modify the van and arranged for deficiencies to be corrected, at his expense.
We have always been invited back whenever she has an open house. Not only did we get free food, we often found out about new products or technology, some of which we now use to make the things I do and the things Sherry must do for me much simpler. Through all of our conversations, she learned not only about all of our needs, but about many of our wishes. When she learned of a recreational vehicle someone wished to sell, she put us in touch with the owner. We ended up purchasing the RV, and Carrie lost the revenue she would have received for advertising the RV.
Carrie and all of her staff have been extremely helpful and we have come to trust, that no matter what, we will get the best products and/or service with the least hassle and expense.
Most importantly, Carrie and her staff have become our friends.

Bill Purdy

Dear Staff
On behalf of everyone at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western, Virginia, I want to thank you so much for your assistance with Conner's wish earlier this month.
Your assistance with the minivan and the ramp was invaluable to this family being able to have his wish and do all that we had planned for them. They certainly appreciated your involvement and expertise.
Again thank you so much for helping to make this such a memorable and special time for him and his family.
Sincerely,
Angelette Pryor
Director of Program Services
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western Virginia-Share the Power of a Wish

Dear Ms. Weeks,
On behalf of a client who called Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging itself, I would like to thank you and your staff for donating foot rests for a wheelchair that had been donated to our client. It is companies like yours who make life so much easier for many people.
Our client and her husband are thrilled that he can take her places and her feet will no longer dangle in the chair, causing swelling and pain. They were planning to go out tomorrow after he gets home from work.
I will take the brochures to the CVAAA office so our counselors and employees can have the information available. I will also recommend your company to others.
Sincerely
Bland M Johnson
Certified Counselor
Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging

Carrie, Melody and Larry,
Your thoughtfulness is overwhelming God bless you.
I thank each one of you for being so helpful when the van broke down. You all went beyond the “call of duty”. I could never tell you how much it means to me for all your have done to help me.
May God bless each one of you.
Sincerely,
Ms. Thompson

Hey guys!
Just wanted to say thank you for all the help in trying out wheelchairs and all the trials and errors included. Thank you, also Lance for the inservice on loading and unloading.
You all are a special team and very appreciated.
Sheila Bennett

Dear Carrie,
I want to thank you for my fun week with you. Thank you for taking me back and forth to my Center because I do love going to my Center and being with my friends. I love you so much
You and Allison come to see us. Mama is doing fine. We went to Chick Fil A today. Thank you, you are so cute.
Love Patricia Coles

And Special Thanks To.........
LACIL wants to give BIG “Thank You” to Miss Carrie Weeks at Independent Lifestyles in Madison Heights. Her company’s generous donation of a specially equipped van allowed a group of Boy Scouts with special needs to travel to Virginia Beach. This opportunity provided them with a chance for fun, education and a lifetime of memories.

Thank you Miss Carrie!!