Tuskegee, Ala. resident Alice Cherry, 79, is an outpatient at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center. As a person who uses a wheelchair, Cherry faces obstacles and challenges that many people with her condition face.

On Jan. 25, 2021, severe weather rolled through Mississippi and Alabama, destroying homes and causing severe damage in several communities. In Fultondale, the Hernandez family waited in their home for the storms to pass. But when an EF3 tornado touched down close by, Arnoldo Vasquez Hernandez realized his family could be in danger.

Mark McColl, chairman of Lakeshore Foundation and a longtime patient of UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC), is the 2020 recipient of SRC’s Ambassador of Hope Award. The annual award goes to a disabled individual whose courage and determination inspire hope in others who face the challenges of disability.