"Yep, NDAD has been excellent,” Ray Helgoe said. He was speaking from his apartment in Cavalier, near where he was raised on a family farm.

He appreciates charitable NDAD “for all the things they’ve done to help and having the things I need,” he said. “And the people are so nice. Lora’s been soooo nice. Very helpful, yep.”

Lora Machart is NDAD’s client services representative for northeast North Dakota. She started helping Ray several years ago when he was living in Grand Forks.

Helgoe said he first used NDAD when he borrowed a cane in 2016 and then several years later a shower chair through our charity’s Healthcare Equipment Loan Program. He’s received help for some other things since, including obtaining compression garments. “And,” Ray added, “helping get the scooter.”

Helgoe lives with chronic pain after experiencing lumbar fractures in his back. He uses a walker to help move around short distances, but applied for NDAD assistance to obtain a scooter in April 2021 to help him with longer mobility challenges in town.

"I was trying to get it through (another source),” he said, “but my insurance wouldn’t cover it. So I went to NDAD.” The following month, Ray had a scooter, which he uses regularly during suitable weather in Cavalier. He also uses Pembina County Transit for other trips.

Helgoe says he doesn’t hestitate to recommended NDAD to others who may need it, including his sister who works at a care facility. “It’s been a great help,” he said. -