Dad

I am a few days late for this post but better late than never! Ever since my accident 15 years ago my father has been my advocate. He has been in my corner since day one of this fight. He fought to get me the best medical care for as long as he had to until I could do it myself. My first stop on the road to getting well enough to return home was Bay State Medical Center in Springfield. When it was time to move to a rehab facility he was the one who took trips to check out every option in the greater Boston area. He did research and then shared his opinion with the rest of the family. Together we chose what we thought would be the best option. A few months into my time at New England rehab in Woburn we realized that we could do much better. Again, he did extensive research, even calling upon Travis Roy's parents to get their opinion of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. When we decided that that was where we wanted to go he argued with the caseworkers and insurance companies until they agreed to release me. He rode in the plane with me as we took a Medflight down to Atlanta. After settling me in he flew down every weekend to visit me. When it was time for me to come home he argued with insurance to let me stay at the Shepherd Center for another week so that our house in Milton could be modified.

With help from colleagues and former colleagues from the design industry my dad designed and had a roll in shower, an ADA compliant ramp, a keyless entry door, and a wheelchair accessible desk installed for me. He also had his den converted into a first floor bedroom for me complete with a sink! A short time after I moved back home, he organized a raffle to raise money for the creation of a trust fund which is used to pay for some of the expenses of being a quadriplegic. We moved into a condominium in 2005 and again he had a roll in shower built for me.

I moved out in 2009 to rent a house with my then girlfriend. It didn't take long for that relationship to become a disaster! I didn't want to be a burden to my father and move back to Milton. He had turned the den into a TV room and converted my old bedroom into an art studio. I was so happy that finally had his freedom after having to put up with me for 13 years! I was also too proud to ask! It turns out that I didn't even have to ask, he offered! So in January 2011 he opened up a storage unit, put away a good many of his things, helped me move back in and for now we are roommates again!

As you can see he has always been there for me when I needed him. He has spoiled me rotten over the years! He is a great cook and we eat very well (so well in fact that I had to put my foot down and ask him to stop feeding us so much because we are both getting fat!) He goes to the movies almost every Saturday night so if I'm not busy I am more than welcome to go to the movies with him ( and he never lets me pay!) We spent three consecutive thanksgivings in Miami beach, but unfortunately that had to end because George W. Bush screwed up our economy and it still hasn't recovered yet!

I love my father deeply and I am extremely lucky to have him.