Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Christmas means being with family, even if it isn’t on Christmas Day. A man living in a nursing home was able to visit with his family in Hogansville over the holidays thanks a free transport by American Medical Response (AMR).

Julius Evans, 66, who lives at East Lake Arbor Nursing Home in Decatur was given transport to his family in Hogansville for Christmas as part of their “Home for the Holidays” program.

The transport was a joint effort between AMR offices in both locations. A DeKalb County AMR ambulance in Decatur picked up Evans Friday morning and a Troup County ambulance brought him back later that evening.

Evans and his family were thankful for the help in bringing him home for the holidays, at least for a bit.

As part of the company’s Home for the Holidays program, AMR offices throughout the country supply transportation to wheelchair and bed-bound seniors living in assisted living centers or nursing facilities so they can be with their families for Christmas at no charge.

AMR has been providing the service for years, but first started in Troup County in 2019.

The program allowed Evans, who is paralyzed from the waist down due to a stroke to be able to spend some quality time with members of his family. Evans said the last time he was able to visit with his family was for a funeral.

Evans’ face lit up with a smile as he greeted family members as they came in for their holiday gathering. He said he was grateful to get to be with his family for Christmas.

“It means a lot,” Evans said. ”I’m so grateful for the company that allowed me this privilege, and I’m grateful for my family having me here.”

Evans’ aunt Patricia Simpson said AMR originally offered to bring him to her home for Christmas day, but they had planned their family get-together for Friday. AMR then worked it out to transport him earlier in the week so that Evans could join in on the family gathering.

“I just want to say thank you. I’m grateful. I really appreciate you all,” Evans said to AMR

staff and his family. “This is Christmas to me, even though it isn’t the date.”

Simpson said Evans is like one of her own children.

“We have been with him down through the years all of his life,” Simpson said, noting Evans’ parents have been deceased for quite some time.

“It is our honor to provide this holiday gift to this community that we treasure so much,” said Wilmond Meadows, AMR Community & Government Relations Manager in a press release.