JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Patric Young Foundation donated $25,000 to Brooks Rehabilitation on Monday to provide a new car to help patients with physical and cognitive injuries learn to drive.
A car accident two years ago left Young, a former Florida Gators basketball star, paralyzed from the waist down.
Young spent weeks rehabbing at Brooks, part of his time was spent learning to drive again.
“I had a great experience learning how to drive the vehicle. And I was just like, man, this thing needs to get upgraded," Young said.
The car, a Chevy Impala, has been used since 2008. The donation includes a new Toyota Camry.
"It means a lot to me to just provide extra good care to my patients that are coming in the future. So, to me, it was it was almost personal that he gave it because I knew we had such a good relationship, and that he thought so much of the program that made me feel even better than he thought about everybody else who was coming after him," program director, Peggy Gannon, said.
Gannon taught Young how to drive. The program uses the car to teach patients how to drive. Once they pass the program, their car is outfitted with the proper parts to allow them to drive.
“To be able to just do it yourself, get up go just having the freedom to do so it changed everything for me," Young said.
Young's Chevy Silverado is outfitted with a lift to pick up his wheelchair and put it in the bed of his truck.
He has a special handle in his truck that allows him to brake and accelerate.
“When I did get my truck modified, and I went to go pick it up, I was like, so this is it. No one, no one else is going to be here to like, make sure I can drive this thing," Young said with a smile.
But Young had a good teacher in Gannon, who called the donation humongous.
"Knowing that it touches you know, 2-300 people a year, we want people to be comfortable," Young said.
“My mental health went up so much higher when I had the independence to drive again," he added.
Brooks Rehab said it hopes to have its new car outfitted to teach patients soon.
As for Young, he said he feels great and is continuing to work towards his goal of being able to walk again.