Terry has some new wheels, and now he’ll be able back it up, roll it forward and so much more.
You might remember Antario Davis from a 2017 video that quickly caught the attention of the internet, including rapper Snoop Dogg and comedian Rickey Smiley.
The video, which was viewed more than 4 million times, shows Davis struggling to back up his malfunctioning wheelchair as fireworks erupt around him. His cousin, who is recording the video, is famously heard saying, “back up, Terry!”
This month, his family and friends started fundraising to buy Davis a new wheelchair. When Quantum Rehab saw the GoFundMe page and video and recognized the chair as one of its own, the company gave him a new one on Monday, spokeswoman Rebecca Bria said.
“I was overjoyed [and] … extremely happy,” said Davis, 42. “It helps me to move around the house, and I’m able to go to different places with it.”
Davis received his new power wheelchair at his Memphis, Tennessee, home. To celebrate, he re-enacted the video from two years ago — but this time, he was able to back it up.
“The world is not designed around seated height, and unfortunately, wheelchair users for too long have been excluded from many everyday functional tasks and interactions beyond their physical reach,” Jay Brislin, vice president of Quantum Rehab, said in a statement. “Once we learned Terry needed a new power wheelchair, we had to help. We knew iLevel would be beneficial to Terry, not just in escaping lit fireworks, but in regaining some of his independence.”
Another company, Team Adaptive, provided Davis an accessible van for a discounted price. The money raised by the GoFundMe drive, more than $32,000, will go toward the vehicle and modifying Davis’ home to make it more accessible, according to Bria.
Davis’ mom, Annette Carter, said the video’s online success has been “wonderful.”
“So many people say they have enjoyed it,” Carter said. “Some people say when they’re down, they’ll go back and listen to the ‘back it up, Terry’ video, and it brings joy to them.”
