Derek's Accessible Vehicle Fund
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Derek Zike. I am 24-year-old Miami University graduate from Fishers, Indiana. I suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 16 while I was living away from home and playing for the Chicago Fury AAA ice hockey team in Illinois. At the time, I had dreams and aspirations of one day playing college or, if I was lucky, professional hockey. On January 16th, 2009, three days before my 17th birthday, those dreams and aspirations were shattered. I took the ice to play in what would become my very last hockey game. In a race to the corner boards I lost an edge on my skate blade, which propelled me head first into the boards with little time to react. When I opened my eyes after impact and saw the play heading up ice, I tried to get up and join them, but my body wouldn’t respond. I had destroyed my fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae.
This isn’t something you can prepare for. This was devastating to my family and I. We needed help and I needed time to recover. I was fortunate enough to have the assistance of quick, receptive, and steadfast supporters. They were with me from the ambulance ride to the hospital, all the way through my four-month hospital stay, through rehab, and my six years of college. I could never thank the surgeons, doctors, nurses, therapists, and caregivers enough for all they have done to allow me to continue to live an active and fulfilling life. The love and support from my family and close friends has been unmatched as well.
Today, I live life as a quadriplegic. I am finishing my Master’s degree from Miami University with hopes of furthering my education. I plan on securing a spot in a Ph.D./Psy.D. program for the fall of 2017. With my education I want to help people. I want to help athletes recovering from spinal cord injuries, and athletes trying to overcome the mental and physical challenges in their lives. This aspiration will likely take me out of the state of Indiana, and living on my own like I have throughout my college career. To give me the opportunity to live and work independently I need to have access to an accessible vehicle.
Today, I am asking for your support. My family and I have been trying for several years now to raise money for an accessible vehicle that can be adapted to allow me to drive. It is the next step in regaining the independence that I have desperately wanted since the night of my injury. Before my family and I could even wrap our minds around the fact that I may never walk again, a kind individual donated an accessible van to us while I was still in the hospital. We are grateful to this person for allowing me to have an accessible mode of transportation for the past seven years. The issue that has arisen is that this vehicle cannot be adapted to allow me to drive because the roof is too low and the height of my power wheelchair is too tall.
The money that we hope to receive will go to the purchasing of a vehicle and the fitting of the adaptive technology that will allow me to drive. I have taken driver’s training and I am prepared. We need the funds before next summer in order to fit the vehicle, finish my training, and allow me to get used to driving again. With your support we can make this happen. I will be forever thankful for your donation and support.
MTV's True Life: Rehabbing My Injury
This isn’t something you can prepare for. This was devastating to my family and I. We needed help and I needed time to recover. I was fortunate enough to have the assistance of quick, receptive, and steadfast supporters. They were with me from the ambulance ride to the hospital, all the way through my four-month hospital stay, through rehab, and my six years of college. I could never thank the surgeons, doctors, nurses, therapists, and caregivers enough for all they have done to allow me to continue to live an active and fulfilling life. The love and support from my family and close friends has been unmatched as well.
Today, I live life as a quadriplegic. I am finishing my Master’s degree from Miami University with hopes of furthering my education. I plan on securing a spot in a Ph.D./Psy.D. program for the fall of 2017. With my education I want to help people. I want to help athletes recovering from spinal cord injuries, and athletes trying to overcome the mental and physical challenges in their lives. This aspiration will likely take me out of the state of Indiana, and living on my own like I have throughout my college career. To give me the opportunity to live and work independently I need to have access to an accessible vehicle.
Today, I am asking for your support. My family and I have been trying for several years now to raise money for an accessible vehicle that can be adapted to allow me to drive. It is the next step in regaining the independence that I have desperately wanted since the night of my injury. Before my family and I could even wrap our minds around the fact that I may never walk again, a kind individual donated an accessible van to us while I was still in the hospital. We are grateful to this person for allowing me to have an accessible mode of transportation for the past seven years. The issue that has arisen is that this vehicle cannot be adapted to allow me to drive because the roof is too low and the height of my power wheelchair is too tall.
The money that we hope to receive will go to the purchasing of a vehicle and the fitting of the adaptive technology that will allow me to drive. I have taken driver’s training and I am prepared. We need the funds before next summer in order to fit the vehicle, finish my training, and allow me to get used to driving again. With your support we can make this happen. I will be forever thankful for your donation and support.
MTV's True Life: Rehabbing My Injury
Organizer
Derek Zike
Organizer
Fishers, IN
