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Help Me Give My Wife What She Deserves

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My Wife and Kids Deserve So Much More Than I Can Physically Give Them

On August 1, 1992 at the age of 20 I was involved in a car wreck that left me paralyzed from the mid-waist down. While this would be devastating to most people I was determined to pick up the pieces and continue with my life as normally as possible. After the accident I was on full disability for a few years. But that got old and I made the decision to give up my disability pay in order to return to the workforce. I was lucky in the fact that the company I worked for at the time of the wreck wanted me to come back and I have been there ever since. Ever since returning to work I have always paid my own way and do not utilize government help, even though I qualify for many programs. On top of working, I also held the office of captain of our small town's volunteer fire department for many years after the wreck. I continue to do as much as I can in order to have a normal life but I have learned that for me being "normal" involves living in a wheelchair, not being able to walk or stand, and not being able to have kids of my own. But, this story is not about me.

Six years ago, in October 2007, I met the most amazing, selfless woman who ever graced the face of the earth. To this day I am still in awe of her and I have yet to figure out how I got so lucky to have her in my life. After almost three years of dating she agreed to be my wife, wheelchair and all. She not only gave me hope of a brighter future but she also gave me three wonderful step children that I consider my own. She has given me so much but I feel as if I have only taken away from her. She was so active with her children before meeting me:hiking, traveling, bicycling, walking on the beach, fishing, camping:all the things a family should do together to stay strong. Once we became a family I noticed she and the kids started giving up all those things so I wouldn't feel left out. She and the kids have adapted to my lifestyle and tell me that they would rather not do the things I physically cannot do if it means I can't participate with them. Even though I am grateful that they consider my disabilities, I feel horrible that she and the kids have been put in the situation where they feel they have to give up the things they love to do. I constantly tell them to go do "this or that" and have fun but they all say that it's not fun without me. My family tries to include me in as much as possible by taking it upon themselves to push me and my wheelchair in places I cannot go myself. Unfortunately though, this hasn't been happening as much lately. You see, my wife was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Degenerative Disc Disease and she is no longer physically able to help me as much as she once did. It breaks my heart to see her so upset because she can't help me manage my wheelchair as she did before.
After doing a lot of research I have found a way that I can participate in the majority of their outings without being a burden to them. There is a company called Trac-Fab who has developed an all-terrain electric tracked wheelchair. This chair is made to go in sand, over rough, rocky terrain, mud, snow, fairly steep inclines, etc. This chair would allow me to participate in their hiking adventures, camping, fishing in remote areas, and going to the beach and building sandcastles with my children. I could start taking them to parks and help my wife educate our children on nature walks. We would be able to spend more time as a family, having "normal" family outings and my wife would be able to stop telling the kids they shouldn't do something because I am not able to do it with them. The possibilities would be endless in the things we could start doing together as a family. The problem is this chair is a little over $10,000 and we cannot afford this. I am asking for financial help in giving my wife and kids their active lifestyle back and giving me the ability to become more active with them. My family deserves so much more than I am physically able to give them at this time. They have given me so much and I would love to surprise them by saying "Let's go for a hike to your favorite fishing hole!" If you knew my wife you would know what an amazing person she is and how she will help anyone with anything if she can, from organizing charity fundraisers for local families in need to raising money for organizations such as Relay for Life. She is constantly giving to others without ever asking for anything in return. Please help me give something back to her for a change! I appreciate any help anyone can give towards reaching my goal of $10,000.

Organizer

Terri Halvorson Young
Organizer
Whitesville, KY

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