Tom Johnson, a Disabled Veteran, Needs Your Help.
Please Share This With Your Family And Friends. ____________________________________________________________ My name is Tom Johnson, and I'm a two-tour Vietnam veteran, coming home in 1970. I urgently need a mobility van. Although the Veterans Administration (VA) may pay for part of the purchase, I'm responsible for the greatest portion. I am wheelchair-bound and urgently need a mobility-equipped mini-van so that I can at the very least go to doctors’ appointments (of which there are many). Beyond that, I would love the opportunity to visit with family, especially my young granddaughters, or spend time with my wife outside the house. Also, my goal has always been to visit with veterans either at the hospital or airport
This is a specially equipped van that will accept my electric wheelchair. We will trade in our seven-year-old car with nearly 200k miles. Undoubtedly this will be our last vehicle. Currently, I spend most my time at home in my hospital bed. Please continue reading to see why I require this vehicle. I hope that you'll help me by donating and sharing my story with your community. ___________________________________________________________ The following explains why and how I arrived at this point in my life. I'm saving as much as I can, but realistically I can only succeed with your help! In Vietnam, I was with the 540th Transportation Group at Qui Nhon, attached to the 79th Battalion at Nha Trang. I was an aircraft electrician with part time duties as a flight crew/door gunner and truck driver, becoming shop leader. After coming home, I began having constant migraine headaches. In 1980, I had a lemon-sized brain tumor partially removed (believed to have caused the migraines), but not only did the surgery do nothing to cure my migraines, it actually caused an increase in other medical problems. The headaches continued and became worse. Although I was warned by my doctor that I might suffer from hormone irregularities, I was examined at regular intervals over the next few years and then basically dismissed. As part of a last ditch effort to solve my increasing pain, I underwent an exam that determined since part of the tumor was left in place, this unknowingly altered the standard test results beyond what was normally expected. So it seems that during this period my hormones, or lack thereof, were destroying my body. The first area to be noticeably attacked was the vertebrae, in the form of severe spinal stenosis. In 1993, I had two surgeries on my spine, which forced me into disability and ended my employment. My spinal cord is now almost completely pinched in three locations. The major problem started in my lumbar. Following that and over the next several years, I had joint replacements in both knees, both shoulders, the left jaw, and left hip. Only after replacing the jaw joint did my headaches subside. This was not a typical TMJ, but a total displacement and destruction of that joint. I also happen to be genetically pre-disposed to debilitating arthritis. At the age of 67, I have spent the better part of my life in pain. To manage, I’ve been on many pain medications, but their side-effects have resulted in my liver and kidneys to also be damaged. The failing kidneys resulted in an accident that sent me into stage four renal failure. I started dialysis, but with the grace of God six months of treatment revived my kidneys to the point that I no longer require dialysis, for now. I haven’t gone into the countless tests and examinations (there were just too many). I am now of retirement age and future employment is highly unlikely, if not impossible. If not for the love and support of my wife, immediate family, and our dear friends, I would have turned to self-destruction long ago.
The decades of out-of-pocket expenses have drained our savings and
retirement accounts. My back is so damaged that I have lost control
from my waist downward. I cannot walk and transferring into and out of
a car is dangerous. The mobility van isn’t a luxury – it’s really a
necessity because even in pain, I intend to live as long as I can and
fully participate in family activities. Please donate to my fund so
that I can purchase this specialized transportation. The money is
guaranteed to be used only for the purposes described. I have set up
a separate account so that these funds can be monitored. There is also
an on-site tally box to keep me accountable. Periodically, I may
withdraw funds to deposit into this separate bank savings account. Any
unused donated funds will be given to my local VFW and the Wounded
Warrior Project. I am a member of both. If you feel uncomfortable with
submitting anything on-line or with a credit card send donations to:
Tom’s Mobility Van 264 Fullers Circle Pickerington, OH 43147-7828
Make checks out to Tom Johnson with the note, Mobility Van
