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Eric’s Story
At the age of 29, single and carefree and after having served six
years in the Marine Corp (in NC, TN, CA and Japan), Eric was
employed as a finish carpenter at Heritage Remodelers and had a
girlfriend.
On a sunny July day in 1991, he was driving westbound on 20th Street
and was broad sided by a 19-year-old drunk driver. The impact was on
the driver’s side, which broke most of the bones in Eric’s left
side.
At the hospital, he spent months in a coma in Intensive Care and was
later moved to the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in SLC. When he
awakened, he was paralyzed on his left side. His
hospitalization/rehabilitation lasted two years. Insurance payments
equaled $20,000, which was sorely inadequate to cover the medical
costs incurred, not to mention the emotional and psychological
effects.
When Eric was released, he was barely able to speak and very
difficult to understand. He was in a wheelchair and unable to use
his left arm and side. The young drunk driver was sentenced to a
jail term and fine. The bar that had served this underage drinker
lost its liquor license and was required to pay a lump sum to Eric
for the losses he suffered. It has since closed down.
Eric came to Enable for training in 1996 following his hospital
release. Initially, state rehabilitation services sponsored him,
paying for his training, but only for a short time. The intention
was to look into state long-term funding, but Eric’s IQ wasn’t low
enough, and his sponsorship ended.
Enable could have discontinued Eric’s employment and training
following the end of his funding period, but chose, instead to work
with him and continue to allow him to work. He continues to be a
reliable, steady employee and has physically and mentally improved
as well. Eric has some use of his left side and can now walk for
short distances without a walker or cane and he never uses a
wheelchair.
In 2004, Eric passed the driver’s test and purchased a car. He now
drives himself to work. With his aging Mother, he also bought a home
using his income from Enable and SSDI (Social Security Disability
Income) and he regularly develops friendships with co-workers. He’s
confessed that he’d like to marry someday, but realizes that he
can’t support a family right now.
Recently, when asked if he liked coming to work at Enable, Eric said
that it’s as good as having someone pay him to receive therapy. He
said, as he walked down the hall, “I could barely talk when I got
here and now I’ve almost got it all back and I can walk again.”
Obviously, by the way he talks now, Eric likes the opportunity of
coming to work and earning his way in the world. He’s been the
trainee representative on Enable’s Board of Trustees since 2001.
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