Regaining Normalcy in a “Not-So-Normal†Life
Posted by Megan on Monday, April 27th, 2009As much fun as my family has when we’re on vacation, by the last day there always seems to be a collective feeling of, “Okay, now let’s get back to normal.â€
For many of our customers faced with a disability following a sudden accident or illness, the same desire to return to a comforting, familiar routine takes hold. While these customers may never get back to life as they knew it, they seek to find balance and comfort in their “new normalâ€.
Dave from Connecticut sent us a letter a while back with such a story. He was 59 years old when he experienced a paralyzing spinal infection, the cause of which has yet to be uncovered. After extensive therapy, he recovered some strength and mobility and is now able to walk short distances.
Obviously, Dave and his family were feeling anything but normal after this misfortune. Dave had been enjoying retirement and was serving his 38th year as a volunteer fireman when the infection hit. As he began the recovery process, his diminished independence was the hardest adjustment to make.
“I did not like being dependent on people to get me from point A to point B,†he wrote in his letter to BraunAbility. His range of motion was still limited, but as he regained some mobility and strength, he began to research wheelchair vans with driving aids.
His search “drove†him to a BraunAbility Entervan which he operates with specialized hand controls. A feature he especially appreciates is the van’s versatility. Dave can lock his wheelchair in the driver seat position for short trips around town or transfer into the original driver’s seat, which can be more comfortable when they head south on vacation to Florida.
“My BraunAbility Entervan has improved my life tremendously,†he wrote. “It has given me back my independence, self-esteem, happiness and sense of normalcy in my not-so-normal life.â€
While he no longer does the physical work of a volunteer fireman, the 66-year-old has organized and manages the department’s Civilian Emergency Response Team. Dave is a regular at his weekly department meetings and still goes to therapy two times a week.
We hear from many customers like Dave who are grateful for the independence and balance their BraunAbility handicap van has restored to their life. It’s our mission to improve our customer’s quality of life – even if it’s “not-so-normalâ€.
Tags: Customer Stories
May 5th, 2009 at 8:29 am
As somebody who was raised converting vans, selling adaptive equipment, journeyman technician through General Manager and understanding the needs of the disabled community; I now find myself in a powerchair at 38 years old.
Yes, I own and drive a Braun GM Entervan. While this has given me the freedom to come and go with independence and security…20,000 miles without an issue from conversion or vehicle; I have learned new things.
The first: How hard it is to find an employer who will look beyond the chair…even in what should be our community!
With the knowledge to help an extensive amount of individuals in and out my community…do you have any suggestions?
With my sincerest thanks,
Brian
May 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Hello Brian,
Thanks for the post.
You have posed a very interesting question, but one of the most difficult to answer. Getting a potential employer or anyone else, for that matter, to look past the wheelchair and see the person is one of the most challenges obstacles that anyone will ever face. Location, location, and location; are the 3 most important factors in determining the value of real estate. Likewise attitude, attitude, and attitude are the 3 most important factors in overcoming any of life’s obstacles whether disabled or not. Employers and others will quickly pick up on the most subtle display of negativity. The real challenge is to develop an attitude that allows a potential employer to see, in you, the type of person they would like to have represent their firm. My Dad used to tell the story of one of his early experiences in the workforce. The way he tells the story: He is standing on the corner with about 25 or 30 other men who were looking for work, when a contractor happened by, needing a few good men. All of the men appeared desperately in need of work, but one said he needed to run home and tell his wife that he would not be home for lunch. Another said he needed to go home and change clothes and shoes. One guy wanted to know what kind of work they were expected to do. Another wanted to know how long the job would last. Another wanted to know if this might lead to a permanent job. Another wanted to know if there was going to be transportation after the work was finished. A few including my Dad jumped on the back of the truck, and said I need a job, period. This incident occurred in the summer of 1939 in Mobile Alabama. At the depth of the great depression, where there were 100 men for every job, many much older and more experienced than he. At the time he was 14 years old and weighed about 135 pounds. The temperature was over 95 degrees in the shade and the humidity about the same. He was given the job of moving a wheelbarrow loaded with about 200 pounds of building material over a rutted muddy building site. After he spilled his second load the foreman fired him. As he was leaving he stopped to tell a friend that he had been fired and that he would see him later. His friend was in a group of men about waist deep digging a ditch. He saw an extra shovel, so he started helping them dig. In about an hour the foreman came by and saw him. He was livid. He said “I thought I told you that you were fired. My dad agreed that he understood that he was not getting paid, but it looked, to him, like the men could use the help so he figured he would help and anyway he didn’t have anything else to do except go home. The Forman put him back on the clock and told the story around the jobsite for weeks about the boy that he couldn’t fire. My dad said that 20 years later after he has spent 2 years in the Navy and then had become a journeyman in the same trade, he went on a power plant job site in Peoria IL. When his gave his name, the supervisor asks if he was from the Mobile local. He said that he was, so the supervisor asks him if he was “the boy that couldn’t be firedâ€. He said that he guessed he was. It is not always easy to maintain a positive healthy attitude but it is paramount.