If you're one of the many people whose car flooded during the heavy rain last week, you'll empathize with Usha Sadhwani. She relies on a wheel chair and a mobility van to get around, but that van was heavily damaged.
Sadhwani is a C7 quadriplegic, but she's never let that hold her back. She’s a proud member of the Disco Amigos dance group in New Orleans. You'll see her at plenty of Mardi Gras parades.
"Even though I can't get in or out of this wheelchair myself, I can't take care of myself, I can't cook, but I can dance, and I can be out in the community representing," Sadhwani said.
Before last Wednesday's flash floods in New Orleans, her mobility van allowed her to drive. She was heading to the hospital that day, but like so many people, Sadhwani ran into trouble. She got stranded Uptown, near Race and Camp streets.
"The next thing I knew there was water coming into the floorboards and I became hysterical. I started crying. I knew it meant that I'm flooded out," Sadhwani said.
With flood water outside, she had no options but to call for help. Firefighters rescued her.
"Three firemen, thank goodness they were around, they put me on a spine board, and I had to leave my wheelchair in the van," Sadhwani said.
Her flooded van is now sitting at Superior Van and Mobility on the West Bank.
The van itself runs, but all the accessibility features that allows Sadhwani to get into it and drive are shot. Without the van, this woman who's fought hard to never allow paralysis to dictate her life, is stuck at home.
"I'm going to lose work. I'm going to lose clients. I'm just kind of scared," Sadhwani said.
Her insurance is covering some of the cost for repairs, but we all know it's never 100 percent.
A lot of people have probably moved on from last week's rain and flooding. For Sadhwanhi, she's hoping for help to get back into her van and put the ordeal in the rearview mirror.