Veteran Receives All-Terrain Wheelchair Thanks To Mario Lemieux Foundation & Post-9/11 Vet Foundation

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A U.S. Army veteran received a special all-terrain wheelchair Monday, thanks in part to the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

The It's About The Warrior Foundation says Scott Filsinger's right leg was shattered in 2007 during MOUT training with the 101st Airborne Division. Filsinger also suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which causes pain and loss of motor function in his lower and upper right extremities.

On Monday, Filsinger was surprised with a Trac-Fab all-terrain wheelchair at the Trac Fabrication facility in Slippery Rock.

"Something like this, it gives you a piece of your independence back and your freedom. That sense that you're not stuck in one place, so isolated," Filsinger said.

Filsinger, who lives in Mars with his wife and their five children, says he's looking forward to being able to use the chair to go hunting.

"When it's wintertime, he can't go out. If it's raining, he can't go out because the ground's too wet for his current power wheelchair. It gets stuck. So now he's going to be able to go outside and take the kids out to play," Filsinger's wife, Ashley, said.

The Mario Lemieux Foundation, Trac Fabrications and the It's About The Warrior Foundation worked together to coordinate the donation.

The It's About the Warrior Foundation helps all post-9/11 veterans from the tri-state area and their families with financial grants, home improvement, therapeutic and outreach programs.

Trac Fabrications, based in Slippery Rock, specializes in manufacturing all-terrain wheelchairs. The wheelchairs feature adjustable arm rests, bright LED headlights, special suspension and more features.