THANK A VET - Freedom for Michael

Many of us routinely approach a man or woman in uniform and thank them for their service. But what about those no longer in uniform? This is an opportunity to thank one such Vet for his service to our country.

(This is a little long, but please read Michael’s story through to the end)

Michael Christopher Milford served 6 years in the United States Air Force. Michael did 3 years active duty before being forced into the active reserve for medical reasons. He spent the majority of his time in the military at the RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England on MH53 Pavelows and at McChord Air Force Base Tacoma, Washington. He earned many medals and ribbons throughout his tours in Iraq , numerous TDYs and for his support of Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica.  

April 28, 2009 was a scorching hot spring day at the NJ shore. Although Michael was feeling under the weather, he joined his family on a trip to Gateway National Park, Sandy Hook NJ. Once there, Michael headed to the water, jumped into a shallow area and broke his neck. Never Losing consciousness---Michael floated face down before being pulled into the depths by the undertow. The lack of oxygen to his brain created a euphoric feeling, when suddenly he popped to the surface where a wave flipped him onto his back allowing him to breathe once more. He was tangled in fishing lines and was battered against the rocks. Fisherman started yelling and his family rushed over to pull him out of the water. He was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center before ultimately being transferred to The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ for more extensive treatment.

At 23 years old Michael had suffered a spinal burst fracture to 3 cervical discs in his neck (C5-C7), leaving him a quadriplegic. It took years for him to gain some semblance of recovery through The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and Cheshire Rehabilitation Center. Because Michael was in the Reserves and not on active duty at the time of the accident, the military was unable to assist with coverage for the spinal injury.

When Michael finally returned to his home in Middletown, NJ he took every bit of his military savings and with the help of The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, his military family, and the Central Jersey Spinal Cord Foundation he was able to purchase and retrofit a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 truck, fully converted for handicapped use. The total cost of the truck was over $120,000 due to the specific adaptive devices he needs to drive independently.

Michael’s wheelchair provides the framework to hold his body upright and it weighs approximately 600 pounds! The driver’s side of Michael’s truck opened outward to lift his chair into the vehicle and position it so that he could drive. With the side retracted, and Michael in place, he looked like any other guy out for a ride! So much so, that we heard from someone who said how angry she was when Michael parked in a handicapped parking space! She thought he was just taking the spot from someone who needed it… imagine how she felt when Michael opened the side of the truck and rolled out with his wheelchair. She told us she was mortified over her thoughts a few minutes earlier. But you see, when he was in his truck that was the only time that Michael felt and appeared “normal” to the rest of world. NOW THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM HIM!

The company that converted Michael’s truck, Mobility SMV, used a faulty design. Within 2 years of Michael receiving his truck, they went out of business! There was nothing that Michael could do, he had no recourse—no opportunity for an extended warranty, no legal action—nothing! He went on to put $40K into the truck trying to repair it. His uncle, a mechanic, worked tirelessly to try and repair the truck, but it was futile. The side of the truck will no longer even open, barring Michael from access.

Michael is now trapped in his home! He can only leave the house for short intervals in his wheelchair. He is constrained by the battery power of the chair. We can’t lift his chair due to its excessive weight to put it in another vehicle. We can’t take Michael anywhere without the chair since it is what holds him upright. Michael is housebound, he’s depressed, he’s about given up…

Michael’s extended family has come together to do whatever we can to help, but we’re realistic. This is a daunting task to raise the funds needed to replace Michael’s truck. Local fundraisers and lemonade stands just aren’t going to get the job done (although we are doing them!). This will take the collective effort of everyone we can reach to say “Thank you for your service Michael!”

Michael isn’t looking for a handout. In fact, it took some doing for him to give us his blessing to set up this page. Michael attempted to become an Uber driver when the truck was still functional. Unfortunately, customers were not comfortable driving with someone in a wheelchair whose hands don’t work! The embarrassment and despair that he experienced caused him to retreat into his private world. It seems that he is stymied at every turn.

Please, even if all you can afford is $1, consider making a donation to Freedom for Michael and share this post with your family and friends. If every person who reads this shares it, and if every person who receives it donates even $1 we can achieve our goal!!!

Michael continues to try and remain positive, in fact, he just graduated from Monmouth University last month, but it gets harder with each passing day. He’s trying to not give up and with our help he won’t have to! Your donation is one small way we can thank someone who put his life on the line to preserve our way of life.

We’d like to end with an excerpt of something Michael posted on FaceBook a year ago, in the hopes it will give you some insight into his struggles and how the world makes him feel. Let’s show him there are many of us who do care and are thankful for his life and want to try and help:

• “Just imagine…. 11 years of your life without feeling sensation, without being able to truly talk to anyone about the struggles of life as a quadriplegic, being embarrassed about the accidents, being belittled, ignored, unable to help others with the simplest of things, having to put on a front so the world thinks you are okay, just because you know how much of a burden you are… bad day to be a cripple. And you may not think it but many of you have a small part in the way you treat people. For the way we feel sometimes…. Yeah…. Imagine that life… now reflect on yours!” --- Michael Christopher, Saturday 8:20pm

Let’s show Michael that we care---Let's give him his life back!!!!