Homeless Disabled Veteran Needs Trike Kit And Motorcycle Camping Trailer
by Rodney Snyder
My mother is my real mother, and my dad adopted me when I was small; but no one told me about the adoption until 4 years ago. About that time, my family practically disowned me, probably because the woman who is now married to my step-dad has a son whom she wants to inherit my mother's and dad's belongings instead of me. Now, I am a man without any family. I served with the 548th Army Corps of Engineers as a heavy equipment operator for only about a year, and was discharged early because of hardships on an honorable discharge. My back is deteriorating to the point that I will probably be able to do nothing, according to my doctors, though they are not definite as to when. I have 2 bulged discs, and the disc between them is missing so that the bulged discs rub on each other. My back is weak and I can only stand for about 30 minutes at a time. This started in 1985 due to an accident. I also have arthritis in my back. My doctor says that the vibrations of riding a motorcycle are very therapeutic, especially with the special backrest I have. I am bipolar and have been all my life. As long as I stay on my meds, I am okay. Riding my motorcycle is therapeutic for that, too, especially the depression. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, and am okay as long as I stay on my meds. I was diagnosed this year with cancer, and have been receiving radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Thankfully, my tumor is rapidly decreasing. Both my eyes have bad retinas, but I can see well enough to drive as long as I wear my glasses. My official status is that I'm disabled, on a lot of meds. Because of my divorce, I am homeless. I was moving from Michigan to Texas in 2007 when I had a serious accident, and hurt myself even more. I was already on SS Disability. After arriving in Texas, I stayed with a woman as her property caretaker until she told me to leave because she realized how disabled I was. At that point, I had no place to go; so the people I am now staying with invited me to live on their property. SS Disability provides my medications, except for the deductibles. I have medical debts totaling around $40,000. I have not been able to work since my accident in 1985 when I hurt my back at work. Also, with all the meds I take, no one will hire me now. I tried volunteer work, and was more in the way than I was helping. I am presently on SS Disability, but am not old enough to get SS yet. I am allowed to work, and make up to $3,000 a year. But I can't even do that. I cannot sit or stand continually, but have to be able to move around. I have been riding motorcycles since the 1960s. In 2006, I finally got my dream motorcycle. My desire was to travel and see this beautiful country that I once served through the U.S. Army. Now my disability has affected my balance so that I cannot ride it. So I am seeking funds for some equipment I need: handicap adaptations for a motorcycle, which have been prescribed by my doctor. What I want to do, and have a prescription for, is put a kit on it that basically turns the bike into a trike, solving my balancing problem. Also, it has a reverse gear, which would help me greatly. I have already started customizing my bike for my disability needs by adding a $500 adjustable backrest. I need a grant so I can get a Trigg Trike kit (for approximately $5,000) to put on my motorcycle, and also get a camper-trailer (approximately $4,000) to pull behind it. If I had a trike with a camper, that would be transportation for me, with better gas mileage than a car or truck. Also, it would be a place for me to live; and I would not be so dependent on others. My greatest desire is to tell people about Jesus, especially in these hard times. I love camping out, sitting around campfires, and talking about Jesus. A trike and camper-trailer would let me do that!
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