Jimmy's Disability turned into Possibility

Jimmy's Inspirational story about his accident and life

In 1988, on Halloween night, I had a horrific accident. In an instant my life changed forever and I was disabled.

First, if this has happened to you or someone you love, it is absolutely necessary for the family, caretakers, and

injured

person to seek or have an emotional outlet. Talk to friends, family, your pastor, a support group, or

therapist to help

you get through this. Don’t go it alone. At the time, most of my family was traveling abroad.

Fortunately, my sister, MJ,

was still home. When she arrived at the hospital, they asked her if she knew what I

was

wearing. Of course she did,

she helped me design my Flasher costume. My wife said NOT to publish it. I

was

young. It must have been a sight for

the paramedics and nurses to see. I don’t remember much about

that night

because I received what they called a

closed head trauma

and I was in a coma. It was an injury to the

brain that

affected every aspect of speech, sight,

movement, touch, and smell. Basically, my body had shut

down to repair

itself. I came out of the coma about four

months later. I couldn't comprehend what was going on

around me or

exactly what kind of physical state I was in. I’m

one of the fortunate few that actually survives such

an injury to the

brain and to eventually pull out of it enough to have

some semblance of a life. I thank God, my

family, my friends,

my church, and neighbors for the love, help, and care I

received.

In the first few months, my family lived with the uncertainty of whether or not I would ever wake up from the

coma

or for

that matter, ever come home. They make daily to the hospital and talk to me, read stories, and

exercise my

limbs (the

nurses did not because they believed it was a waste of vital resources). In late February

of 1989, I woke

up. I was

confused, skin and bones, a mere shell of my former self. When I finally understood

what had

happened to me, I

could have succumbed to depression and felt sorry for myself. I could have

rejected everyone’s

help and become a

very bitter person. I didn't because I felt the love of family and friends.

My dad began bringing

milk shakes to me at the

hospital because I had lost so much weight. Over time, I was

released and allowed to

go home, in a wheel chair. A

wheel chair, the single most device that no one ever

wants to be in. And a device that

I was determined to get out of.

With intensive physical therapy and the help of a treasured neighbor I began working toward my goal, walking.

was a

grueling experience, and quite painful, but well worth the effort. So many months of being in the coma

without

professional physical therapy (to keep my muscles from atrophying) had caused severe muscle

spasticity

and a build

up of calcium in the joints. While I was in the coma, my hands were closed so tight that

my fingernails

cut into the

palms of my hands. I eventually had to have surgery to remove the calcium buildup

and wear a

number of splints to

straighten out my fingers. More often than not, I fell flat of my face, but I

persisted. I went to the

pool and worked out in

the pool at Lakeshore Foundation located in Birmingham,

Alabama. Above all, I found this

to be the best therapy of all.

You don’t need balance in the water and it’s easier

to move around in. I enjoyed the

water so much, that I took

scuba-

diving lessons

and became a certified diver. I

continued to push my

rehabilitation to the limit. This persistence paid

off. After four long years of being in a

wheel chair therapy, surgery,

splints, and, walkers, I managed to walk on my

own. It was’t perfect but I was

mobile again and that is a

wonderful feeling. It was’t perfect, I was left with a fairly

extreme gait that made it

difficult to walk on uneven

surfaces and maneuver around obstacles was very difficult. But I

did it, I was walking

again and that brought me

to the next step, working.

Because the gait and inability to maneuver around well, my options were limited. I began working for my dad’s

company, Automotive Friction Materials, Inc at

http://www.automovotivefriction.net

. The company makes any

type

brakes from go cart to golf cart to 18-wheelers. It also makes clutches. My job is making tractor brake

shoes. It

was a

hot, filthy job, but it was a job. Don't get me wrong. I was grateful for the job, it was a repetitive

type

job but

not difficult to

perform. If working a traditional labor or office job is not feasible, consider an Internet

based

business or one you can

do at home. The good news about that is more people with disabilities are

self-

employed than those who are not

disabled. And 40% of Internet businesses are owned by disabled

people. Both

are good options and you may even be

able to keep your disability if the income stays within a

certain amount like

I did. I worked part-time for minimum wage.

It gave me that extra needed income to live on

that my Social Security

Disability lacked. This web page

http://www.

socialsecurity.gov/d&s1.htm

explains who

can qualify for Social

Security or SSI disability benefits, how to apply and

how to appeal if you disagree with the

decision. This web

page

http://www.ssa.gov/disability

provides information on

benefits for people with

disabilities. Well, eventually, I

was able to buy my home. It is located on the very block I grew

up. I was very

fortunate. I had family assistance in

buying my home. Actually, my dad purchased the home for me. Most

disabled people do not have the credit

needed to this on their own until they build it up. If you do not have this

advantage, the Department of Housing and

Urban Development website,

http://www.hud.gov

contains

information for

every state and you may qualify for

public housing or a loan.

Things were going great but I realized that my SS disability check and the small income would not be sufficient

support me through retirement, so I entered college. I did not meet the income or property requirements to

get

assistance from Vocational Rehabilitation

http://www.jan.wvu.

edu/SBSES/VOCREHAB.HTM

. It contains all

State

Offices and in most cases, people on disability won’t lose their disability while they are attending college.

Filling

out

the forms for rehab, grants, and college may seem intimidating but it’s worth the effort. Depending

on your

circumstances, you may qualify for up to four years of tuition, along with a Pell Grant; and easily afford

to retrain in

area that will allow you economic independence. Be careful not to drop too many courses, and

buy used

books

whenever possible. I did not qualify for this and had to take out student loans. Word of caution:

Do not take

these

loans unless you absolutely have to.

While I was attending class one evening, I met the woman I married. She was sitting on a bench outside of her

psychology building (her major). I bummed a cigarette from her and she’s been trying to get it back ever since.

She's

an artist, she does everything but you can find her website at

http:

//www.

woodburningforthecraftierartisan

com

http://www.camouflagesite.net

We’ve

been together for several

years now and still going strong. My stepson just entered the Army and

will

be away for the

next five years, so we

will only have our two labs and

our garden

We built it (mostly from

free

things we collected that

other threw out)

over a period of seven years so we would have a place to relax in

after

long day at work or school. We

didn't have

the money that other people have or we would have had, had

we not

been disabled, but we didn't believe

we had

to do without everything that other people have. It makes a

difference

if you believe in yourself and find your

strong

points. (These days, ff we're not in our vegetable

garden or on the

patio, we're watching a good movie or

reading a

magazine.)

Like any college, the university I attended had a Disability Support Service, which allows people with limitations

have longer time on tests, note takers, tutors, and a few other resources. Because I attended part-time, and

had

difficulty with some courses (had to retake a few), it took me a few years to complete a four-year academic

preparation

for the Teachers Education Program. Unfortunately, I was denied entrance into the program. As

depressing as that

was, it wasn’t the end of the world. Just one aspect of my life had come to an end. This

meant

I had to regroup and

refocus. I still needed a job that would pay bills (including thousands I had in

student loans)

and be high enough to

pay a decent retirement. In the meantime, I could tell people what I had

learned the hard

way, how to recover from a

traumatic injury, and rebuild their lives. All the tools you will need,

all the

information

that is necessary, can be found

on this page or in

other links

. The only thing I can’t, and

apparently no one else

can, is find some way to increase your

disability payments. The information my family

and I needed to get help

couldn't be found in one simple organized

place. Most websites say they will for a

price. I hope you find everything

you need.

I’ve found my new niche

, I hope you

do too. God bless you all!

Jimmy's Internet Cafe

Jimmy’s Disability turned into Possibility!

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