Accident Disabled Father Seeks Grant Help To Be Able To Smile For His Kids
by Jim Duhr
A couple days after. Not a good day.
I agreed and took her for a ride to Oshkosh from north of Appleton. We went to Subway where we met my girlfriend and ate. After eating we had to go to my work and pick up some paperwork for a meeting I had to go to in Milwaukee on Monday. We went to my work and picked up the paperwork and then parted ways with my girlfriend. She lived by Madison and I lived north of Appleton. My daughter and I got on the highway with my new bike and travelled about six or eight miles when we were hit twice on purpose by a person driving someone else's car without a drivers license and no insurance. He was a convicted felon who had just gotten out of prison on parole from what I understand. When he hit us the first time from the side it threw my daughter off the bike into the median of the interstate, which was lucky for us because besides having my daughter fully dressed and as always wearing a helmet, my daughter was thrown into the grass and dirt so she didn't get much road rash. She however got some road rash from the rocks and dirt along with stitches in her right knee. I however did not make it out okay. The person then hit me again breaking my ribs and shoulder on my left side. My left ear was pretty much cut off, and my left lung was collapsed just for starters. I received a traumatic brain injury and a bunch of staples and stitches in my skull. I also had a few fractured vertebrae in my back. I was in a coma for some time but luckily I made it through even though the outcome is hard to accept. I have permanent nerve damage to my brain and the left side of my body doesn't work very well at all. I am permanently disabled, unable to walk very well at all and have trouble talking and thinking quickly. My son lived with me at the time and my daughter was just up visiting me. I thank God everyday that I get to see my kids grow up although my Doctors told my family to plan my funeral and on at least three occasions asked for permission to pull the plug on me. The Doctors told my family there might be a chance I would not be able to hear or talk and that if I woke up I could possibly be paralyzed. I guess I showed them. But don't get me wrong; life is really tough now. I was always able to go out and play with my kids including playing ball, running, golf, climbing and most anything we wanted to do but now I all I can do is watch. I can walk hardly at all, run or play games with my kids and it is really hard for me to just sit back and watch. I have always been a very active person at work and at home. But since the person who ran my daughter and I down on the interstate at 65 mph did not have insurance it is impossible for me to provide for my kids or me. I had amassed about a half million in medical bills, which the insurance I had on the bike paid a part of, but going from $5000 a month to nothing is proving to be impossible. My son is now staying with his mother but my daughter who was 12 at the time of the accident wants to come live with me. I want to give her a really good life but without an income it will prove extremely hard. I love my kids with all my heart and am very glad I get to see them grow but would very much love to be a part of it. Because of the no insurance from him I can't afford to get some necessary medical treatments I need to be able to balance myself and walk without constantly falling down. Although the most important thing to me is to be able to spend more time with my kids, it would be nice to walk my daughter down the aisle or at least go for walks or to be able to play with them. Although I really miss my job and working with friends, I really miss being able to afford to support my children and be an active part of their lives. Well thanks for taking the time to read this story because my kids deserve to be the real winners here.
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