I was paralyzed from the chest down in 1996, auto. Accident. It was while doing a mileage check to bid a job for Nye County. It was also on my own time, I really wanted to get the contract, as it would mean more income from the company I worked for. Vortex, was a great company, their profit share and performance bonus programs made it possible for all employees to make extra, with a way that no other company could match. I would get paid a monthly check on top of my hourly pay for whatever extra contract's or (PM, Preventive Maintenance) jobs I sold.
My main job was installing, repairing and doing P.M. on any chain accounts we had on a daily basis, and our most profitable work was in installing RSD's. Rolling steel doors, and sectional doors, as well as every other kind of door and hardware you can imagine. My company was becoming a nation wide business very fast while I was there. Our shop was located in Las Vegas, NV, each man was basically his own boss, we each had separate trucks stocked with all the power tools, mig and stick welding units, compressors for air tools, (Pneumatic) for those of us in the construction field, ladders, nail guns, impact wrench, with all the fittings + all the tools needed for working on glass doors, fire doors. Just one month before my accident, we had installed the biggest rolling steel door in the US, at the Flamingo Hilton, I guess I am going on and on sorry, but I really loved my job! Anyway after my accident they kept me in the hospital for six weeks, then four more months in rehab. I was in pretty bad shape, I could not even use my arms or hands, when I was realized, what had happened it was a big shock I kind of lost my mind for a few days after that my mom said I was talking to my dead grandfather like he was standing right next to me. I actually told my mom he was standing right next to her and trying to talk to her but she was not listening, she freaked out and ran out of my hospital room, I also according to my wife kept asking for my tools saying the door to my room needed to be fixed and why could she not simply bring them so I could fix it. Of coarse I cannot remember any of that but I beleive them, only because it was in my doctors report and he also told my some other crazy things I did, he said it was normal. That when the mind cannot handle the shock of what happened to the body it causes all kinds of different behavioral gliches to cope with the pain. Once I finally got out and went back home and tried to get back to some kind of normality, I started looking for a job even though I could not use my hands I figured the only way I was going to get back some use of my limbs was by using them! And one month later I had a job! It was putting tested by stickers on circuit boards and, (LED's) used in neon signs on the strip, menial but it really helped my regain function in my hands, well one hand anyway. My left hand had too much nerve damage, but hey I am right handed so at least I could still sign my name. Fast forward five years I had been injured again in a fall in a public rest room; I was doing a transfer into my chair when the grab bar broke out of the wall! It was only mounted with four 3/4 inch screws drilled into tile, which was only glued into the drywall! So it put me out of working anywhere but home.
So here we are, it’s 2002, my wheelchair lift transmission and suspension in my $54,000
wheelchair accessible truck needs to be replaced. I cannot work and my disability checks from Social Security barely pay the utilities, in fact it really does not! Since I was only thirty two at the time of my accident, I had not accumulated enough to pay me much of anything. So now after I was no longer able to work, due to my new injury and still had a $574.00 payment on a vehicle that was UN -driveable, plus a sixteen hundred a month mortgage. It was getting pretty bad, not only did we loose my income but we had our home and children to worry about But we managed to keep our home long enough too sell it without falling behind on our mortgage payment... That is until my truck’s cost to repair bill, was estimated at close to eighteen thousand dollars and change! So we had a choice to make, since my one year warrantee was up, you herd me right one year! For a vehicle that cost as much a hummer, and only had, 31,426 mile’s on it, and it was a limited warranty on top of that! Our choices were keep the truck and hope somehow to get financing to fix it, only because it would have cost much more to try and sell it and get a new one. So, we tried everything we new to come up with the money to pay for the repairs, but we could not. Now it seemed the only way to fix it and keep up with our payments was to sell our house. You must understand how hard this was, it was our first home and we only had it six months before my accident, and had been married five years.
We had really just started our lives as first time homeowners, at the time of my injury. So it was very hard on our family, but we kept our home for all of this time without ever missing a payment. That in itself was a hard and stressful, but we were so proud that even after becoming paralyzed from the chest down, I and my beautiful wife managed that and had twins! But this time we really had no other way than to sell the house for the funds to repair the truck.
Now, I am going to come right out and say it, right now we need help! My wheelchair lifts is broken again, and guess what the warranty is expired on my new two year old transmission and fifty six hundred dollar suspension is just fine. But we live in a rural area, so it is very important that I have transportation, to and from doctor’s appointments and also in case something happens again to me! Because of my injury, I have had to take really scary amounts of pain meds. On top of antidepressants, spasm, nerve pain drugs, I am not in the best of health; the worst thing for me to deal with is my seven year old twin boys, Camron and Dylon seeing their dad taken away in an ambulance. Dylon is already afraid dad will not come back, both of their grandparents, my wife’s mom and dad,which were my adopted mom and dad, that I loved very much both passed away in 2005.
Leaving them with only one grandparent my mom, but she lives so far away that they barely even see her other than of holidays. Now every time I get sick Dylon who spent a lot of time visiting mom and dad at the nursing home, and also in their condo before moms stroke, Camron was also their at the same time he is just not as much of a worrier as Dylon. Anyway, it has been hard we all have gone through a lot of pain and loss in the past year and a half, my mom is still here, but I know it because I was lucky enough to grow up with my grandfather always around, that the boys really miss him. Just FYI. My father left us when I was five, so I never really new him, my mom says I am better off.
But every boy and girl needs their parents whether it’s together or not, they need to be their when we need to rely on them. I hope you look at the picture up there that’s my life right their, my twin sons and more recently, in June of 05, my twin boy and girl Zackary, and Delainie. It is both for me and them I am asking for financial help to fix my wheelchair lift. For me because I cannot take my boys to a movie or just to burger king for that matter. But most of all it is for them, so dad can pick them up from school or go to church with them again. They both just finished their first year of catechism; I can’t wait to see them as alter boys. I can never forget how proud my Irish Catholic grandfather was when I had that honor, Anyway to the point, if anyone or any business can spare the money to help fix my truck email me at twnpapa@charter.net or just send it to our home,
1956 Currant Ct.
Gardnerville, NV89410 care of Stephen OR Marci Hinchey and family.
God bless and keep you in his heart and thank you from my heart, Stephen
