Inspired by His Story, We Wanted to Help!

As we prepare to gather together this Saturday, May 20th, for the 20th Annual Memorial Atlanta Classic (MAC Daddy) charity golf tournament in Atlanta, it seemed fitting to illustrate the impact of your generous donations.

Earlier this year, we learned about a Loganville, Georgia man who was a gunshot victim. Inspired by his story, we wanted to help.

Navy veteran, Quan Taylor, never imagined the city of Atlanta would be more dangerous for him than his time serving our country in Kuwait. In January 2015, Quan was shot 11 times outside of a Kroger on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta during an armed robbery and carjacking, despite immediately surrendering his wallet and keys.

Quan suffered life threatening internal injuries that resulted in the loss of a kidney and severe damage to his major organs, main blood supply veins, and spine. Quan was ultimately transferred to the VA in Tampa, Florida where they have a spinal cord injury center.

Still in Tampa being treated at the VA, Quan has made great strides since being shot over two years ago. Health wise, all of his major surgeries have been performed and he plans to return to Georgia as soon as his therapy is complete.

Quan is an inspiration and has chosen to learn what he can from this experience. He said “the good news is that it’s not a sad story—it ends fairly well.” Every function he lost is coming back. He’s walking with a walker and only uses the wheelchair at times now. He has a better perspective on life and has chosen to raise awareness of gun violence.

When asked if there was anything in particular that he needed at this point in his care, Quan said he didn’t like asking for help. After thinking about it, he did come up with one thing would be really helpful to him—hand controls for his vehicle! Quan shared that he was awarded a $10K grant from the GA Spinal Cord Commission for the purchase of a vehicle. However, the VA wouldn’t cover cost of hand controls because he wasn’t active duty when he was shot.

That’s where the KVF came in. Thanks to generous donations from friends, family, and area businesses, KVF provided Quan with $1,000 to support the purchase of hand controls and other medical expenses. Now, Quan is driving safely and regaining some of his independence back.

Thank you for believing in Small Town Values for Life!! Together, we truly can make a difference.