Tony Raffenaud

Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but Tony Raffenaud left his chair in "ole" Seattle. And both partings were painful.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1989, Tony Raffenaud used a specially built power chair to travel through his Seattle neighborhood, go to church and shop at the local stores.

When he moved to Holland, Michigan in 1997, he lacked the funds necessary to have his power chair shipped. "I made a deal with the multiple sclerosis people in Seattle," Tony said. "I would donate the chair to them, and [the multiple sclerosis people] in Michigan would find [a new chair] for me."

Well, they did find a chair—but it didn't fit him properly. And as for power—it was like a four-cylinder car running on one. Consequently, neighborhood jaunts, getting to local shops and going to church became impossible.

Like for so many other people, Tony's insurance wouldn't budge on its "one chair for one lifetime" policy. So Tony was literally stuck—until a rehab equipment specialist with Airway Oxygen made a call to Alternatives in Motion. And guess what? Tony received a well-fitted, running-on-all-cylinders power chair—and he gained back his independence.

Tony may have left his chair in "ole" Seattle—but he found people with a heart in West Michigan.