Bill Asher Needs to Come Home
Donation protected
Life changed forever on August 26th for the family of Bill Asher...spinal cord totally severed by a young man who said he "simply fell asleep at the wheel" while driving to his job at a gas well company in Midlothian TX.
Was 6:10am and Bill was stopped at a red light on Hwy 287 just South of Mansfield, TX. He drove a double cab truck but it was no match for the 2-ton welding truck that barreled down on him and struck him in the rear of his truck, possibly travelling as fast as 65 mph. By the grace of God, he was struck just to the right of the truck emblem which probably saved his life versus a hit in the middle or left side of truck which probably would have killed him. Right rear of truck was totally caved in and the driver's seat that Bill was sitting in broke, twisted inward and launched Bill backwards into the back seat as it was shoved 100 feet into the intersection and spun 180 degrees. Result of the collision: Bill was left paralyzed from the chest down as the spinal cord was totally severed, described by the trauma surgeon as a "devastating break"...which it certainly was. Bill was in ICU for 18 days before being moved to Baylor Rehab in Dallas where he still struggles with respiratory and other issues from the accident. But Bill is a fighter and despite these issues, he continues to fight through the pain to keep up with the therapy schedule.
You may be asking why are we writing about our wonderful brother-in-law? Many reasons but one is because he truly didn't deserve this! He is a wonderful husband and father, a man of great Faith and one who holds personal integrity above all else. He's a provider, working for Nema3Electric, a father who loved playing golf with his son and loves attending his daughter's concerts, as well as an example for all who are active in his Church. The old saying is really true in his case..."he didn't deserve this". The guy who hit him claims he simply fell asleep but he has a long list of "not so nice" things he has done in his short 29 years, including DUI, license suspended and many other traffic violations across Texas. Truly an individual who doesn't deserve to be on the road. But that's not the focus here...the focus is how do we provide for Bill and my sister (and sister-in-law) Pam when Bill comes home to literally start a whole new life on October 31st?
We would really appreciate your help. We're sure there will be major medical bills but there will also be many expenses that Pam nor Bill were counting on as they were approaching their retirement years. There are many modifications that must be made to make their home wheelchair accessible and one that accommodates his paralysis. Doors must be widened, walls taken out and the bathroom TOTALLY modified to allow Bill to live a somewhat "normal" life. They are facing over $28,000 in home modification expenses alone just so Bill can continue to live there. Likewise a different vehicle will need to be purchased in order to transport Bill to physical therapy, doctor visits, etc....And if you know anyone who has gone through something like this, I'm sure you know that there are many expenses that the family hasn't even thought about yet.
We love both Bill and Pam very much and even though they have been blessed in many ways during their lifetime, life was not fair on August 26th. We would be so grateful if you can find some way to show them that people really do care and help in whatever way you can to help relieve them of a portion of the financial burden that awaits them. There will be enough concerns just adjusting to this new life and caring for Bill that we really hate to see them having to worry about the cost of modifying their home just so Bill has the opportunity to live in his "new life". God bless you and thank you for showing Bill and Pam that people really do care.
Love, Johnny and Shelley
Was 6:10am and Bill was stopped at a red light on Hwy 287 just South of Mansfield, TX. He drove a double cab truck but it was no match for the 2-ton welding truck that barreled down on him and struck him in the rear of his truck, possibly travelling as fast as 65 mph. By the grace of God, he was struck just to the right of the truck emblem which probably saved his life versus a hit in the middle or left side of truck which probably would have killed him. Right rear of truck was totally caved in and the driver's seat that Bill was sitting in broke, twisted inward and launched Bill backwards into the back seat as it was shoved 100 feet into the intersection and spun 180 degrees. Result of the collision: Bill was left paralyzed from the chest down as the spinal cord was totally severed, described by the trauma surgeon as a "devastating break"...which it certainly was. Bill was in ICU for 18 days before being moved to Baylor Rehab in Dallas where he still struggles with respiratory and other issues from the accident. But Bill is a fighter and despite these issues, he continues to fight through the pain to keep up with the therapy schedule.
You may be asking why are we writing about our wonderful brother-in-law? Many reasons but one is because he truly didn't deserve this! He is a wonderful husband and father, a man of great Faith and one who holds personal integrity above all else. He's a provider, working for Nema3Electric, a father who loved playing golf with his son and loves attending his daughter's concerts, as well as an example for all who are active in his Church. The old saying is really true in his case..."he didn't deserve this". The guy who hit him claims he simply fell asleep but he has a long list of "not so nice" things he has done in his short 29 years, including DUI, license suspended and many other traffic violations across Texas. Truly an individual who doesn't deserve to be on the road. But that's not the focus here...the focus is how do we provide for Bill and my sister (and sister-in-law) Pam when Bill comes home to literally start a whole new life on October 31st?
We would really appreciate your help. We're sure there will be major medical bills but there will also be many expenses that Pam nor Bill were counting on as they were approaching their retirement years. There are many modifications that must be made to make their home wheelchair accessible and one that accommodates his paralysis. Doors must be widened, walls taken out and the bathroom TOTALLY modified to allow Bill to live a somewhat "normal" life. They are facing over $28,000 in home modification expenses alone just so Bill can continue to live there. Likewise a different vehicle will need to be purchased in order to transport Bill to physical therapy, doctor visits, etc....And if you know anyone who has gone through something like this, I'm sure you know that there are many expenses that the family hasn't even thought about yet.
We love both Bill and Pam very much and even though they have been blessed in many ways during their lifetime, life was not fair on August 26th. We would be so grateful if you can find some way to show them that people really do care and help in whatever way you can to help relieve them of a portion of the financial burden that awaits them. There will be enough concerns just adjusting to this new life and caring for Bill that we really hate to see them having to worry about the cost of modifying their home just so Bill has the opportunity to live in his "new life". God bless you and thank you for showing Bill and Pam that people really do care.
Love, Johnny and Shelley
Organizer
Shelley Johnson
Organizer
Joshua, TX
