Mercy Health Foundation Greater Lima

Your donations mean that a Mercy Express Van is always available to help Teressa.

Teressa King can’t drive herself farther than the gas station or store across from her home.

“My legs won’t let me drive far,” she said. “I start having spasms.”

Fortunately for Teressa, your donations provide a Mercy Express Van service for transportation to and from appointments at Mercy Health—St. Rita’s Hospital. She has used the van service a couple of times a week for the past five years.

“I’ve got a lot of appointments up in Lima at St. Rita’s and I live about 18 miles from there,” she said. “It takes them about 45 minutes to get me there and back.”

Teressa knows that she wouldn’t be able to go to appointments at St. Rita’s if the Express Van wasn’t an option. She’s tried transportation Through her insurance company, but they require a longer schedule time and won’t always come all the way out to her home.

This is not the case, she said, with the Mercy Express Van team, who always go above and beyond for her.

“They are very good at it—the dispatchers and drivers are all good,” she said. “They show up on time, they help me in and out of the van, and they are very polite.”

Teressa said she’s grateful that the service exists for her, but also for other patients who have limitations like hers.

“I really like it. “I know that it helps other people too, because it helps me!”