We reported earlier this year how the doctors caring for Randy Travis after he suffered a stroke in 2013 told his wife, Mary, she should "pull the plug."
Videos by Wide Open Country
Mary said, "That's when I went to him. That was the moment that I knew that Randy Travis was gonna make it because he squeezed my hand, and a tear went down his face. And I said, 'He's still fighting.'"
She then told his caregivers that they were "going to fight with him."
The stroke damaged the area of Randy's brain that controls speech and language. This condition, aphasia, impacts his mobility and ability to speak and sing.
Thanks to therapy, the "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer has made tremendous progress since the incident. He sang a surprise duet with Tim McGraw earlier this year and spoke to fans over TikTok in November.
But Randy still needs a wheelchair to get around. Mary recently got the singer a custom one for Christmas, and his reaction to the special gift was priceless.
The Gift References a Signature Randy Travis Song
In a video posted yesterday on social media, Randy smiles as Mary gives him the wheelchair. However, the real surprise is on the back. It's a painted reference to one of his beloved songs.
"We surprised Randy on Christmas, and he LOVES his new custom wheelchair with Three Wooden Crosses," reads the caption. "Thanks again to @EazyRepairAndDetail for the amazing paint job, as well as Turners Pinstripes and @Nashville.Upholstery for the stripes and fine details!"
Fans were just as delighted by the gift as Randy.
"That's so awesome! What a wonderful gift," wrote one user.
"Im not crying you are," another added. "Absolutely beautiful."
Travis Is Still Performing
Randy and Mary now connect with fans through the "More Life Tour."
"Randy and I are both on stage. I give a little bit of background as far as the music, the musicians, Randy, the stroke, a song, the AI, of course," explains Mary. "And then we show videos of Randy's historical past, as far as some of his joke-telling, which allows people to see the humor that Randy has. And all the way back to his childhood and working with horses in some of the Westerns that he was in, the funny things along the way.
"So it gives you a whole, like I said, biographical sketch of Randy Travis. And then James Dupre is singing all of the songs, and it's just kind of a magical night, really."
