Ordinary Heroes: Doug Bradley

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Ordinary Heroes: Doug Bradley

Last week I posted a blog about ordinary heroes. I was talking about my love of superhero comics that has stayed with me since I was a boy. Looking at the state of movie making these days, I’m not the only one. But the real point of the blog was that we all can be heroes, and we don’t even have to wear tights.

Each person has something that makes them special, a talent or gift that they can share with the world, and most of the time we don’t even know it. We have spoken a kind word, lent a hand, or done something major that really made the difference in someone’s life.

One of those people that has had a profound impact on me is my friend Doug. I first met Doug nearly 40 years ago. We started elementary school together, and it was a small school. People that were different stuck out, because with so few people, there was no place to hide. Doug was different. He was in a wheel chair and had a hard time speaking because of Cerebral Palsy. It would frustrate him if you couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell you. But he was also a smart Alek, and didn’t take any crap from anybody. We actually had a different word, but this is a G rated blog.

People would try to help Doug, not out of pity, but because we genuinely wanted to help our friend, but he refused to be treated differently. I respected and admired him for his tenacity and attitude. In high school, when I was not a stellar student, Doug finished near the top of our class.

Doug is now a husband and father, and a well respected member of the community. He went to college and when he couldn’t find a job due to the hard time he would have at job interviews, he went back and pursued a second degree. He is now a civil servant in my hometown.

He has been adamant that people not treat him differently, to the point of finding himself in need. Doug’s condition brings all sorts of challenges and expenses. He desperately needs to upgrade his transportation to accommodate the fact that he now has to use an electric wheelchair instead of the manual one that he pushed around and loaded and unloaded all by himself. And he finds himself in a conundrum that an awful lot of people do. He works, therefore is not eligible for most benefits that he might qualify for if he was on disability. But a regular salary doesn’t take into account the special needs a person with Cerebral Palsy faces.

I helped my friend set up a Gofundme campaign to try to help offset this expense. It would mean a lot to me if you could chip in a little and help him, you can even donate anonymously if you like. This is your chance to be an ordinary hero, because believe me, my friend Doug is a hero to a lot of people here.

Here, in Doug’s words, is his need:

“About 2 years ago, I started having problems with my knees and legs. My wife started talking to me about possibly getting an electric wheelchair, because it hurt her to see me struggling so bad. I felt like I was giving up on my independence, but in the end I reluctantly had to start using an electric wheelchair to be able to go anywhere. It makes life less painful, but the electric chair requires a special lift be put on the back of the one car that I own. This requires that someone helps me load and unload my chair and help me into the car.

Having a wheelchair accessible van would allow me to regain my independence, but the accessibility conversions significantly raises the price of the vehicle. I am in a situation that many people find themselves in, I work, so that disqualifies me from many forms of assistance. I want to keep working and feeling that I am making a contribution to society and my family.

I have prided myself on being self-reliant and not requiring much assistance. Working and providing for my family are my first priorities, and having the freedom to do that unencumbered would make a huge difference in our lives.”

Doug’s Gofundme campaign is here: http://www.gofundme.com/pc2xb8nv