Family and friends of Enija Mays have partnered with nonprofit Help Hope Live and started a campaign to help raise the funds needed to purchase a wheelchair accessible van.
Enija is a kind, intelligent young lady who graduated from Quitman High School on May 23, 2022, with honors. She earned a scholarship to attend a university, where she was accepted into the RN program. Her ultimate goal was to one day become a nurse practitioner and start her own practice in her local community. She was set to graduate on May 12, 2025, and was thrilled to finish her last semester of nursing clinical.
The problem started when she was home for Christmas break in 2024 just before her final semester of school. On December 30, 2024, she was unloading a case of water from her car when she felt a little pain in her neck. Originally, she tried to just sleep it off but discovered a tingling sensation in her fingers. Thinking it was a pinched nerve, she decided to visit the emergency room. While waiting for results, she realized she could no longer move her arms, and within an hour, she could no longer control her legs. The local hospital was unable to find any answers, so she was immediately flown to a larger hospital. It was there that they diagnosed her as having a spinal cord stroke at only 20 years old.
The stroke has caused her to become a quadriplegic, vastly limiting her mobility.
“We are reaching out to the community to help purchase a wheelchair accessible van to help Enija get to doctors’ appointments and physical therapy,” explained Enija’s mom, Janie McKenzie. “It would also be used to allow Enija to socialize, shop, and be productive in society. I am her mom and caretaker and unable to work, so our resources are limited. We are a faith-filled family in need of assistance, so we thank you in advance for your devotion and support.”
Enija is remaining optimistic and relying on her faith to help her overcome the obstacle she has been facing since she had her spinal cord stroke. She does want to continue her education and has plans to return to school to study psychology.
Any donations made through the campaign will go towards helping her and her family obtain a vehicle that is necessary to help transport her to vital appointments and provide her with a sense of normalcy by allowing her to get out and socialize again.
As the campaign grows and more people are aware of the need, the family is working with a coordinator who will assist in getting involved in different events in the community to help raise more support and awareness.
Those who donate through the campaign are able to leave words of encouragement for Enija and can either remain anonymous when donating or allow their name to be shared.
All donations to the campaign can be made at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26292/.
