The Western Tidewater Free Clinic now has the ability to serve more of its patient population due to the generous donation of one family.

Patrick Heard and his parents, Casey Carlson and Bob Heard, donated a scale that is handicap-accessible in late December.

“We have several who have difficulty maneuvering the daily walking and ins and outs. We are handicap accessible. It makes it easier than stepping on the scale with a cane or walker,” said Ashley Greene, director of development.

The scale is like an industrial drum scale. Both sides of the scale have ramps for ease of access for those that are wheelchair bound or even those who have difficulty stepping up. The scale itself is also a wonderful addition to the facility, because it can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.

“I know doing the stats and data that occasionally we have people in wheelchairs and cannot stand to be weighed, and it (the scale) weighs up to 1,000 pounds. The current scale could only weigh up to 400 pounds, and we have patients that are more than 400 pounds,” said Carlson, who is also the data manager at the clinic.

The idea to donate the scale was born when Patrick, who has used a wheelchair his whole life, wanted to be able to weigh himself at home. His current doctor’s office doesn’t offer one that can fit his needs, according to Carlson.

“We wanted to support Patrick, and when we saw the things he had gone through being a wheelchair user, we extended that to the clinic,” Carlson said.

For Christmas, Patrick’s parents went searching for a place to purchase an accessible scale for their son, and when they found one at a reasonable price, Patrick’s dad suggested getting one for the free clinic, too.

“We ordered a scale for Patrick and he turned to me, and he said, ‘What if we bought a second one for the clinic.’ He called them back, and they gave us a great price on a second one. We decided that’s what we would do and give it to the clinic,” Carlson said.

The clinic had more than 20,000 visits in 2017, and with that many weigh-ins needed, any kind of modification can be helpful to the patient, according to Greene.

“This incredibly generous donation could impact even more people than just who we serve here at the clinic,” Chet Hart, executive director of the clinic, wrote in an email. “Thanks to Casey Carlson and the Heard family, we are able to share our new handicap accessible scale with other medical providers for their own patients who may need this type of specialized equipment. So much has been done to support WTFC in this community. We would be honored to give back and help in that way if needed.”