A single mother of three who has a debilitating condition received a gift today that's beyond what she had hoped for.

Terri Thomas, 42, has lymphedema, or swelling in her legs that makes it hard for her to walk. She has also suffered from panic attacks that often kept her from leaving her home. The Suffolk mother has lived in a shelter during the past seven years with her children and her mother, Kathleen, who has a traumatic brain injury.

From her home computer, Thomas did volunteer work for an organization in Medford called New Beginnings. The group helps people who have brain injuries like Thomas' mother.

New Beginnings connected Thomas with a company called Bussani Mobility, which sells wheelchair-accessible vans. Each year, Bussani Mobility donates a van to a deserving family, and the owner, Dan Bussani, says he knew he found a perfect candidate when he heard Thomas' story.

For Thomas, the van means she can drive to her doctor appointments and take her children places they haven't been in years. "Mr. Bussani didn't just give us a van, he gave us a new life," Thomas said.