SCOOTER VIEWS: San Diego and Coronado Island

Yester-years

I suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Although I didn’t know what it was called at the time, I had it for as long as I can remember. I hated not being able to do all the things and go all of the places that my brother and other children could. But the fact of the matter was and still is my mobile disability was prohibitive of the adventures I wanted to engage in. It was excruciating to sit on the sidelines and watch all of the kids playing ball, jumping into the lake, running around playing catch, etc. I missed out on so much because quite frankly, there wasn’t much of anything invented at the time to help people with mobility challenges other than a wheelchair.

At the tender age of three, I caught Polio from the vaccine. My mother took me to doctor after doctor in the small Korean town that we lived in, however, I was either turned away because of my skin color while the doctors that wanted to help me just did not have the knowledge on how stabilize polio patients. Therefore, I went without medical intervention for an entire week. When my mother finally found a doctor who was not prejudice AND had the knowledge, polio had already ravaged my body. He did everything he possibly could but gave my mother a very grave prognosis; “she might not live to see 16.”

Present Time

Fast-forward to the present, I am still alive and kicking (pun intended). However, my mind like an engine of Ferrari but sitting in a bicycle chassis LOL). I joke but that is how I feel; my brain is going at a 150 MPH but my gait is a bit slower and quite limited. Through the years, I have learned how to compensate for my disabilities and accentuate my gifts and talents to accomplish quite a bit.

In my working years, I was a Hotel Executive, VP in the Banking industry with Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) and then retired as an Independent Financial Advisor. I have founded an non-profit 501(c)3 organization that strives to teach financial literacy to the under-served communities and youth, provide Christian Counseling to survivors of Child Abuse and Sex Trafficking as well as advocate for the prevention of child abuse and sex trafficking. Heck, I have even authored a book, hosted a radio show and even recorded my own music album. However, I am most proud of being a mom! It has been the most challenging and yet the most rewarding, fulfilling and enriching experience to date!

Mobility Source

Now, back to me not dying before age 16! July was my birthday and we decided to celebrate my 54th bday and 18th wedding anniversary at Hotel Del Coronado. I booked surfing lessons for my children and S’mores Beach Roast for the family. That is when I ran into my first problem. I can’t walk on sand (or ice for that matter). When I called the hotel, I found out that they did not have any mobility equipment on property that I could use or rent. HOWEVER, the hotel worked closely with a scooter rental company on the island called Mobility Source. Hotel Del not only worked with Mobility Source to get me a Beach Wheelchair for my time on the sand but they also gave me access to Windsor Beach, a private beach club. You can read more about my review on my post called “The Incomparable Hotel Del Coronado: A Curio Collection by Hilton”.

Then a second problem arose. My personal scooter decided to stop working a few days prior to getting to the Hotel Del. So now at the last minute, I had to find a mobility scooter in an unfamiliar town clear across the U.S. That is when Gino from Mobility Source came to the rescue...again!! He had my beach wheelchair AND my mobility scooter delivered to the Hotel Del 24 hours prior to my arrival! This ensured that I could enjoy the resort as well as get around the San Diego Zoo as planned.

I have traveled the world; 30 different countries, 25 states and counting, and in all my travels I have never received such impeccable customer service from a mobility rental company than at The Mobility Source. But even more impressive and heartwarming is that at the core of the owner’s heart is his desire to help those with differing-abilities participate in life and not just watch from the side lines; to be able to venture out, not just independently but safely and he understands how important it is for families to be able to include their loved ones with disabilities in outings of all kinds. He understands that FOMO is real! He is not just out for a profit; which is very obvious when you look at the prices he charges for the equipment but he does it for the intrinsic internal reward that comes from helping people.

The Beach and Resort