LaWanda Pryor sought out Safe Step in order to purchase a walk-in tub for safer bathing. She has multiple health issues, which limit her mobility, and the common things that most take for granted—like bathing—have become nearly impossible.
She fell in love with the tub, even making a down payment. But because of financial hardship, Ms. Pryor was unable to afford the tub. Safe Step received a letter from Ms. Pryor’s daughter, Amanda Pryor, which told the story of the hard-luck Ms. Pryor had gone through: her husband passed away from cancer, and her daughter took her own life two weeks after her husband’s death. Ms. Pryor was taking sink baths or using baby wipes because she was unable to bathe safely. The letter from Ms. Pryor’s daughter did not ask for a handout; it simply thanked Safe Step for its professionalism, even as it explained the tub was out of her financial reach. It asked for mercy, not a tub. The letter landed on the desk of Mike Duffer, Safe Step’s Founder and President, who immediately declared Ms. Pryor a recipient of Safe Step Cares.
“We heard she loved our tub, wanted to buy our tub but through a series of financial and other hardships, she was unable to afford it,” said Mike Duffer, president and founder of Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. who made his dying mother a promise that if his company experienced success, he would give back to those less fortunate. “To be candid, we felt Ms. Pryor needed a break. It’s tough to lose the ability to bathe safely so we are going to change her life with a tub through Safe Step Cares while giving her the independence, dignity, and safety she deserves.”