FROM CANCER, TO NEARLY FATAL CAR ACCIDENT!!
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FROM CANCER TO A NEARLY FATAL CAR ACCIDENT!!
MY VIDEO...
We never know what’s going to happen in our life. I feel like I made an effort to make good choices, but life gave me some serious challenges. I’m trying to make the best of them and having the Tek RMD standing wheelchair or a similar device and some good therapy would be life changing! The Tek RMD was amazing and it, really, opened my eyes to how much technological advances have to offer. Let me go back and tell you what I've been and am going through…
I graduated from college and had a great career as a Mechanical Engineer, working on the space shuttle, military defense projects such as satellites/rockets and, on the side, built cars.
I ate healthy, meal prepped and worked out consistently but at age 34 I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer, enduring surgery and chemotherapy – left, with a broken heart, knowing I would be unable to ever have natural children.
A few years later on 4/8/2010, I was driving my Datsun 510 (which I spent years building myself) and I, unfortunately, had a terrible accident with an 18-wheeler truck, while on the freeway. My heart stopped once at the accident site and once at the hospital but I was saved. I'm lucky to be alive.
These challenges have, obviously, NOT been what I imagined for my life. The accident caused the breaking of all my ribs, my collarbone, a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and left me comatose for 7 months. The doctors said I’d NEVER wake up and, if so, I wouldn’t remember ANYONE or ANYTHING. I'd also NEVER speak again.
Since then, with a lot of therapy, I can talk but balance is still a foreign concept. Currently, I feel like my brain is at about 80% and I’m about 65% physically but it’s confusing. Due to my TBI, my brain has limited communication with my body but I’d think that the muscles would still do or act the same. Besides being well educated, I’m WRONG! Now I feel that the muscles follow orders from the injured brain that I use to send messages to my body. Given that this yields minimal results my brain may not, actually, be functioning at 80% like I think – but much lower or just differently.
These injuries have given me vision problems (I'll, probably, never drive again and I need ANOTHER (1 so far) eye surgery), left me unable to stand/walk and I have problems involving ANY use of my body. People assume that because of my condition I don’t have understanding or feelings (I am STILL a human) but they are wrong.
I am unable to work and my mom quit work to be my caregiver. I’ve been humbled. Despite my circumstance, I have found my way back to healthy eating and living, within my limitations. I love helping others – evaluating diets, nutrition and fitness; designing meal and fitness plans and taking their goals on as if they were my own.
I attended community college classes specifically for persons with a TBI or other disabilities just to return some sense of normalcy back into my life, however, we have trouble affording the classes and all of the gas it takes to get me there day, by day, by day. I’ve tried and am trying to make the best of this NEW life.
I was fortunate to try the amazing new technology of the Tek RMD on 12/17/2019 and fell in love – but it costs $24,351.38. Although I love the Tek RMD, I may not opt to get it because it may not be best for my ENVIRONMENT. I may opt for a different device or devices that better fit my environment (stairs, steps, small kitchen, etc.). I have tried many devices and, although I am basing my fundraising off of the Tek RMD, I’ve seen devices that cost a little more or a little bit less. Key words being, ‘a little’.
I entered a contest to win one (a Tek RMD), received thousands of votes and didn’t win but I’m NOT giving up! Selling my wheelchair and scooter won't even make a tiny scratch in the price plus it's over 200 pounds so it will stay home and I'll need my wheelchair or scooter elsewhere. Additionally, my scooter is not fully functional since the reverse function doesn’t always work (only when it feels like it). There are a number of problems that need to be addressed. While we live a decent life, affording these pieces of technology are, seemingly, impossible but I am keeping HOPE alive. I would love to have the opportunity to stand and move around, get therapy and get a caregiver to give my parents a, much needed, break! I am hopeful that people may be kind enough to help me raise the funds to have this life.
All of the pictures I want to show wouldn’t fit so I put this together. MY GO FUND ME ALBUM! For a brief description just tap or click on the picture until it’s on a black background. Go to the upper right-hand side and pick the upside-down exclamation point. If you still need anything, then you can contact me and I’ll be happy to help. They're not in any, particular, order and the hospital pictures are kept to a minimum because I HATE seeing myself in a coma.
I hope to get devices that work, go back to school (maybe my Mechanical Engineering masters) and get some good therapy for as long as I can. Your help will be appreciated and is needed. From $0.01 on up is greatly appreciated. Even you sticking with me this long is appreciated. Most pictures were takin before my accident and SOME form of that life is what I strive for. If you have any questions or need any clarity then don’t hesitate to email me at [email redacted]. Please no spam. Thank you and have a great one.
MY VIDEO...
We never know what’s going to happen in our life. I feel like I made an effort to make good choices, but life gave me some serious challenges. I’m trying to make the best of them and having the Tek RMD standing wheelchair or a similar device and some good therapy would be life changing! The Tek RMD was amazing and it, really, opened my eyes to how much technological advances have to offer. Let me go back and tell you what I've been and am going through…
I graduated from college and had a great career as a Mechanical Engineer, working on the space shuttle, military defense projects such as satellites/rockets and, on the side, built cars.
I ate healthy, meal prepped and worked out consistently but at age 34 I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer, enduring surgery and chemotherapy – left, with a broken heart, knowing I would be unable to ever have natural children.
A few years later on 4/8/2010, I was driving my Datsun 510 (which I spent years building myself) and I, unfortunately, had a terrible accident with an 18-wheeler truck, while on the freeway. My heart stopped once at the accident site and once at the hospital but I was saved. I'm lucky to be alive.
These challenges have, obviously, NOT been what I imagined for my life. The accident caused the breaking of all my ribs, my collarbone, a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and left me comatose for 7 months. The doctors said I’d NEVER wake up and, if so, I wouldn’t remember ANYONE or ANYTHING. I'd also NEVER speak again.
Since then, with a lot of therapy, I can talk but balance is still a foreign concept. Currently, I feel like my brain is at about 80% and I’m about 65% physically but it’s confusing. Due to my TBI, my brain has limited communication with my body but I’d think that the muscles would still do or act the same. Besides being well educated, I’m WRONG! Now I feel that the muscles follow orders from the injured brain that I use to send messages to my body. Given that this yields minimal results my brain may not, actually, be functioning at 80% like I think – but much lower or just differently.
These injuries have given me vision problems (I'll, probably, never drive again and I need ANOTHER (1 so far) eye surgery), left me unable to stand/walk and I have problems involving ANY use of my body. People assume that because of my condition I don’t have understanding or feelings (I am STILL a human) but they are wrong.
I am unable to work and my mom quit work to be my caregiver. I’ve been humbled. Despite my circumstance, I have found my way back to healthy eating and living, within my limitations. I love helping others – evaluating diets, nutrition and fitness; designing meal and fitness plans and taking their goals on as if they were my own.
I attended community college classes specifically for persons with a TBI or other disabilities just to return some sense of normalcy back into my life, however, we have trouble affording the classes and all of the gas it takes to get me there day, by day, by day. I’ve tried and am trying to make the best of this NEW life.
I was fortunate to try the amazing new technology of the Tek RMD on 12/17/2019 and fell in love – but it costs $24,351.38. Although I love the Tek RMD, I may not opt to get it because it may not be best for my ENVIRONMENT. I may opt for a different device or devices that better fit my environment (stairs, steps, small kitchen, etc.). I have tried many devices and, although I am basing my fundraising off of the Tek RMD, I’ve seen devices that cost a little more or a little bit less. Key words being, ‘a little’.
I entered a contest to win one (a Tek RMD), received thousands of votes and didn’t win but I’m NOT giving up! Selling my wheelchair and scooter won't even make a tiny scratch in the price plus it's over 200 pounds so it will stay home and I'll need my wheelchair or scooter elsewhere. Additionally, my scooter is not fully functional since the reverse function doesn’t always work (only when it feels like it). There are a number of problems that need to be addressed. While we live a decent life, affording these pieces of technology are, seemingly, impossible but I am keeping HOPE alive. I would love to have the opportunity to stand and move around, get therapy and get a caregiver to give my parents a, much needed, break! I am hopeful that people may be kind enough to help me raise the funds to have this life.
All of the pictures I want to show wouldn’t fit so I put this together. MY GO FUND ME ALBUM! For a brief description just tap or click on the picture until it’s on a black background. Go to the upper right-hand side and pick the upside-down exclamation point. If you still need anything, then you can contact me and I’ll be happy to help. They're not in any, particular, order and the hospital pictures are kept to a minimum because I HATE seeing myself in a coma.
I hope to get devices that work, go back to school (maybe my Mechanical Engineering masters) and get some good therapy for as long as I can. Your help will be appreciated and is needed. From $0.01 on up is greatly appreciated. Even you sticking with me this long is appreciated. Most pictures were takin before my accident and SOME form of that life is what I strive for. If you have any questions or need any clarity then don’t hesitate to email me at [email redacted]. Please no spam. Thank you and have a great one.
Organizer
Aole Espy
Organizer
El Cajon, CA
