REGIONAL — Life can change in an instant, as Dena Suihkonen learned last summer when she became paralyzed after a freak accident. But just this week, she learned in an instant that things were about to change for the better.
Suihkonen has been chosen to receive a 2019 GMC 2019 4x4 with low mileage that has already been retrofitted with a wheelchair lift and hand controls. The retrofit allows someone in a wheelchair to slide their chair onto the lift, get safely lifted into the truck’s cab, and then drive the vehicle while sitting in their wheelchair. The truck also still has the original driver’s seat, which can be easily installed so someone else can drive.
“I am blown away,” she said. “When I got the email, I didn’t even know what to think.”
Suihkonen had learned about the truck, which had been donated to the nonprofit Invisible Wounds Project, from her friend, Ashlan Barthorpe, who saw the giveaway on Facebook and urged Suihkonen to apply. With help from daughter Gabby, she completed the application in January.
The Invisible Wounds Project, based in Forest Lake, exists to support veterans, police, fire, EMS, frontline medical staff, corrections, 911 dispatch, and their families by addressing the unseen impacts of service-related trauma, said the group’s founder and executive director Russ Hanes.
The truck came from a family in Forest Lake, who wished to donate it to the right person — someone who could really utilize the truck in a way it would make a big difference in their life, Hanes said.
The group received seven applications that were all scored and rated, and Suihkonen’s was chosen.
“They saw someone who had given a lot to their community,” Suihkonen said. “But I had thought that someone might have deserved it more.”
Suihkonen now has work to do on her end. She must complete specialized training, get certified to drive a hand-controlled vehicle, and then wait for her new driver’s license before she can receive the truck. The state took away her license this summer after her injury. She will be doing training through the Polinski Center in Duluth but must wait about a month to get her appointment.
The truck will give Suihkonen the freedom to be more independent.
“Right now, I have to depend on everyone else,” she said, “and that can be depressing. I was such a mobile person before. This will take that feeling away. I will be able to do things myself, and to go places.”
Becoming more independent has been a priority for Suihkonen since her accident, and the family has been fundraising for two things to make that a reality: renovations to the family home in Tower to make it more wheelchair-friendly and the purchase of a vehicle that could be outfitted with hand controls. This donation hits one of these goals and frees up resources for the other. Suihkonen said there will be some costs associated with the truck, such as sales tax, license fees, and insurance, but she said their family has funds set aside that that.
Invisible Wounds was founded back in 2015 by Hanes, who had 17-years of experience in law enforcement, corrections, and 911 dispatch. When he found himself suffering from PTSD, he had trouble finding help, since his issues weren’t related to military service.
“Our group started out by paying for therapy,” he said, “but we wanted to do more.”
The nonprofit built a building in 2024, where they offer therapy, services, and a space for woodworking and art projects. They have been serving around 2,000 people a year, mostly in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, have provide over 500 hours of therapy, and over 8,000 hours of woodworking and art programming. Last year, the group helped in 125 suicide crisis interventions. The nonprofit gets some grant funding, but the majority of their budget comes from fundraisers and donations. You can learn more at IWProject.org.