I just needed a few screws. A quick trip to Lowe’s—easy in, easy out. But life doesn’t always go as planned.

As I rolled through the store, I heard it before I felt it—snap. My wheelchair wobbled, and before I could react, the right wheel gave out completely. I barely caught myself before hitting the ground. A few customers glanced over, then kept walking.

“You okay?”

I looked up. A guy in a blue vest crouched beside me. Eddie, his name tag read. Before I could answer, he waved another employee over.

Within minutes, I had three Lowe’s workers around me. One brought a rolling cart. “Let’s get you sitting somewhere safe,” she said, helping me up. Another examined my busted wheel like a mechanic checking an engine.

“I think we can fix this,” Eddie said.

They rolled my chair to the back, leaving me perched on the cart like some makeshift throne. I half-expected them to come back shaking their heads, but then I heard drills buzzing and saw sparks flying from a welding tool.

Fifteen minutes later, they rolled my chair back out—good as new.

“We reinforced the axle,” one of them said, grinning. “Should hold up better now.”

I ran my hand over the frame, speechless. “I… how much do I owe you?”