|
It was Christmas time, and in the local paper there was a short article about an old woman in North Memphis, it was near the area where Elvis lived while he was growing up. The man and woman were old, black and very poor; they lived in a two-room house with only a tattered curtain dividing the rooms, in the poorest part of Memphis. The old woman had been confined to a wheelchair all her life. She had no legs and her old wheelchair had become worse from age, she wasn?t able to use it anymore and left her unable to move around her home. The story was written by a charitable woman who knew of the old ladys circumstances and decided to do what she could, and try to raise enough money to buy the old lady a new wheelchair. When Elvis read the article he turned to Marty Lacker and said, ?Moon, take care of it for me. Get her a new chair.? Marty made a call to the phone number which was with the article, and asked the woman who answered the call, if she was still looking for a wheelchair for the cripple woman? She said, ?We are taking donations and will very much appreciate anything you can do.? Marty then asked how much had already been raised; so far the donations received totaled a little over eighty dollars. Marty explained to the lady, he is acting on behalf of someone who would like to remain anonymous but would like to buy the old woman a new wheelchair. The lady on the phone said, ?oh, you want to donate some money.? Marty replied, ?no, we want to buy a new chair for her. You take the money that has been raised and give to her. We?ll get the wheelchair.? The lady seemed to be unsure about the caller, until Marty asked for the old woman?s address and reassuring her that they would get the old woman her chair, she then seemed satisfied this call was genuine. She said to Marty, ?You are very kind,? then she offered to pick up the wheelchair and send the bill on to them, he said, no, ma?am. ?We will pick the chair up and personally deliver it, there is somebody who wants to do this for the old lady.? ?God will surely bless you and your friend.? After getting the elderly woman?s address Marty made another call to a hospital supply company in Memphis, where Marty and one of the other guy?s found a really nice electric, automatic wheelchair and bought it, put it in the trunk of the car and went back to Graceland to show Elvis the chair before they delivered it to the old woman. When they got to Grceland, Elvis and Priscilla were dressed to go out. Marty asked Elvis if he wanted to see the wheelchair before taking to the woman, Elvis answered ?Priscilla and I are both going with you.? Elvis, Priscilla and Marty got into one car and two of the guy?s followed in a second car, using the second car was normal procedure for security, or in case anything happened to the car Elvis was traveling in. They drove to one of the poorest neighborhoods in Memphis. It was the pits, as they all wondered how people were living like that and yet, most of the guy?s had begun their lives in little better conditions. Marty went to the door making sure they were at the right address; an old man let him in. It was a shock to see what these people lived in, he noticed the newspapers, which were there to try and stop the wind from coming in the windows, there was an old wood stove in the middle of the floor. It was the poorest place Marty had ever seen, and the shocking fact was this place was in the city. It was a run down shack, not a house. Marty explained to the old man three or four times why he was in the neighborhood, even then it?s not curtain the old man understood. Then Marty seen the old woman sitting on a wooden chair in the other room, he then told the man he would be right back. While outside, I told Elvis the old lady was in the house and got the other guy?s to put the wheelchair together. Elvis carried the chair into the house, with Priscilla, Marty and the others following. Tears whelmed in every ones eyes at the sight of these dear old people during such poverty. Elvis went to the lady and said, ?Hello, I came to give you this chair as a gift for Christmas?. The dear old woman didn?t understand why this white man was in her home to giving her a new wheelchair she kept looking at the chair and Elvis while he explained and showed her how it should be operated. Suddenly she seemed to understand this wheelchair is truly a gift to her, then she tried her hardest to get off the wooden chair to her new chair wheelchair, but she struggled and was unable to do so. Elvis then gently picked her up and carefully placed her in her new chair. As her tears began flowing from her old eyes she cried, ?Praise God! God bless you!? The moment was filled with genuine emotions with Elvis on one side and Priscilla on the other sharing this happy sadness moment with the old lady. Even the tough members of the Memphis Mafia couldn?t control the powerful emotions floating in the room; each of the guy?s came forward and put their arms around the old lady and clasped the old mans weak hand. The general feeling that surfaced from this special visit was the love felt for the elderly couple, Priscilla and all that were present, but most of all they truly loved Elvis and the sincerity with which he gave his true gift, himself. Before leaving the couple, Elvis turned to Marty and said, ?Look at the way they?re living,? each person involved in the experience felt thankful for what they had. Elvis then asked Marty to give him a couple of hundred dollars; Elvis then placed two one-hundred-dollar notes in the old woman?s hand wishing her a Merry Christmas. Elvis gently kissed her, then turned and walked out. Elvis Presley Forever This Elvis Presley biography site is dedicated to providing the site visitor with quality Elvis Presley biography information, pictures and articles for your entertainment. Everything you ever wanted to know about Elvis's life, loves and music. An Elvis Presley biography site by a fan for his fans. www.elvis-presley-forever.com
Related Articles -
Elvis, Presley, -, Christmas, Gift,
| 
