UNC classmates raise money for new wheelchair

By Jada Harkins Andrews

Staff Writer

After a bus accident destroyed his wheelchair, Joe Brown’s classmates rallied around him.

Brown, now a senior in Kenan-Flagler Business School, was struck in his wheelchair by a Chapel Hill Transit bus in April while he crossed the intersection of Manning and Skipper Bowles drives.

Brown was taken to UNC Hospitals for his injuries and has since recovered. Chapel Hill Transit compensated him for medical bills and replaced his wheelchair.

Brown’s steps to recovery moved many of his fellow students and business school faculty.

To help Brown, they created a GoFundMe page to raise the money needed to upgrade his new wheelchair to a chair that would allow him to stand all the way upright.

“It’s really incredible, and most of the people that donated are from the business school: faculty, staff and a lot of business students as well, and even UNC alumni,” Brown said.

When the accident happened, Patricia Harms, a business school professor, brought it to the attention of Brown’s classmates, who then decided as a class to create the GoFundMe page to raise the money for an upgraded chair.

They spread awareness for the campaign through various forms of social media.

“It’s very special to feel that support,” Brown said.

Several of Brown’s business school classmates who are studying abroad this semester in Copenhagen — Harris Hamed, Tina Farrell, Landry Brown and Catherine Hemmer — said via video chat that Brown is a genuine person who is always willing to deal with whatever is happening in his life.

“He was very humorous,” said Farrell, who set up the GoFundMe page.

Brown’s classmates said he is a great friend whose presence was the highlight of the early-morning class they shared.

“He really brought a great energy to our 8 o’clock class,” Hamed said.

“Even though (the class) was so early, it was one of our favorite classes,” Hemmer said.

They said they formed a special friendship with Brown and did not hesitate to help him out once they were informed of the bus incident.

Brown said it was inconvenient the accident happened right before final exams but that it otherwise didn’t hinder his day-to-day routine.

Brown received his new wheelchair from a Charlotte-based company before returning to campus but is still accepting donations on the GoFundMe page to pay for the chair.

As of Monday, the GoFundMe account had raised a total of $6,600 out of the goal of $8,269.

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