GRANDVILLE, Mich. — A new Grandville store is offering mobility equipment and repairs to help people regain their freedom and independence — and it was built by someone who knows firsthand what that means.
Natalie DeVries, co-owner of Mobility City of Grand Rapids, was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder, an inherited nerve condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. She began using a wheelchair a decade ago.
"I used to say I was wheelchair bound, and now I like to say I'm wheelchair free," DeVries said.
For DeVries, her wheelchair is not a limitation — it is what keeps her moving.
"Without my wheelchair, I wouldn't be able to get anywhere. So I like to say the world is—it's not that I can't get in because I have a wheelchair. It's that the world is not accessible," DeVries said.
After years of visiting mobility stores and feeling like her needs were not being heard, DeVries and her husband, Garth, decided to create the experience they wished they had.
"We want to provide people with many options so that they can test what's comfortable for them. And a lot of it is I just also wanted to connect with other people with disabilities and the senior population in our area," DeVries said.
The Grandville store offers wheelchairs, power chairs, scooters, and other equipment, along with rentals and repairs.
Garth DeVries, co-owner of Mobility City of Grand Rapids, said the impact of their work goes beyond the individual customer.
"Every week we get a customer that comes in in a certain situation that it's heartbreaking, but we're able to help," Garth said.
The family's daughter, Madeline, also works at the store. Her goal is to give customers renewed hope.
"People come in and they sometimes leave in tears just because, you know, we've fixed something that they need to get around in, or we've just steered them in the right direction to help improve their independence and their mobility," Madeline DeVries said.
For Natalie, every repair, rental, or sale represents another barrier removed.
"Seeing the look on people's faces when they get their freedom and their independence, and that they know that there's a way that, yes, you can go out and be on your own—and that to me is giving people just the hope and the possibility that they can lead a barrier-free life," she said.
Mobility City of Grand Rapids is located at 3819 Rivertown Parkway, Suite 150, in Grandville. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Customers can call 616-788-2220 to schedule a repair, rental or showroom visit.
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