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This is Terry, his story is a simple one.
As best I know, he is a wonderful person, well liked by his family, friends and his community.
He lives in the White hall area close by Negril.
He lost use of his body through a fall and his life has been changed forever.
He has one child and a wife, loving parents, and many friends who care for him.
My wife Betty and I were taken to see Terry last April/04 by Ms. Myrie the WhiteHall Basic School principal. She for some reason thought we could help him ?
Upon meeting Terry we were both overcome with the heat and emotion of seeing him laying in his bed simply surviving by his faith alone.
Don't get me wrong he isn't bitter at all,or over come with self-pity, he put us at ease quickly and briefly told us his story.
Terry sold everthing he had to go to Cuba to get an operation to regain some use of his body, he now has use of his upper arms and neck.
He lives in the back of his parents house in a very small addition and supports himself by selling items like pop, smokes, treats, to the locals in the area. He deals with people through the slats of his window.
His little tuck shop doesn't provide much, but he gets by, never blaming anyone or losing his faith that Jah will provide for him.
We asked what he needed or wanted and he said a power wheelchair or cart something he could get out and about in, yeah right, like we're going to snap our fingers and that's going to happen any time soon.
Leaving Terry with a promise we'd try and do something for him.
On our way back to Negril Betty and I talked about what we could do, if anything for him, Good Luck.
For some reason Ms Myrie thought we were rich tourists I guess, because we'd help her school with some computers and school supplies,wrong. We only wish.
After returning to Canada and our home, we started asking people on all the boards, our friends, co-workers etc. if they knew of anyone or anyplace we could get an electric wheelchair...no such luck, none to be found, for free, anyway.
After many months of asking and searching to no avail a casual conversation with my dearest and oldest friend Blaine Pritchett, Betty mentioned our search for a chair to him.
He calmly looked at Betty and said " I 've got one in my storage unit you want it? It's yours no charge".
It had been sitting in there for two years or more, did it work, could it be fixed, who knew ?
Blaine hooked up his trailer and hauled it to our apartment for us, again no charge, thats what friends do.. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
It's taken a few months and some heavy duty cleaning, some cursing, some prayers, and a little part made by our friend Charlie Sundal, but it's working well, and ready to go to Terry.
Getting it to him was a concern, I've been out of work and paying for this ourselves was out of the question.
I met, through the boards, Julie (Juju), she had seen a pic of Terry I had posted and rememebered her old friend. She was able to contact him and me as well. She inturn mentioned Terry and our plight to that "Negril Angel" of many causes Gail Jackson of the Negril Tree House.
Gail met Terry and started visiting him and taking people to meet him as well. She asked "Juju" to tell us to ship the chair collect if need be, she'd raise th money for freight, duty etc. through bake sales, or any other means to make it happen for him...Jah bless her. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Well fate has changed a few things, so I'll bring ya up to speed.
My wife's employers shipping manager (Charlie Skelcher)upon Betty asking for help in maybe wrapping it on a skid for shippment said "I can do better than that, one of our freight forwarding companies will pick up the frieght costs", did I mention they love my wife at her company. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
She got them to donate computers and pay for the shipping in that project also, a cool place to work and a nice boss to boot. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
Gail also informed me through Julie, that a man with a big heart from the US seeing my posts on another board has offered to pay all duty and taxes to get it into Jamaica, and you thought these chat boards don't effect people. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] He wants nothing in return and his name is to held secret, I have my idea on who he is and will respect his wishes but he too is an Angel.
My wife recieved confirmation yesterday (Friday /8 her birthday) that all is well with the frieght forwarding company and we have to get it over to the shipping department for shrink wrapping and off to the airport it goes.
It will take a few days to finally get it all
together, but hopefully it will be there around the 15th of April. I understand our mystery Angel will also be visiting around this time and we'd like him to see Terry get this chair.
A Final Foote Note:
In one of my many posts about this project I mentioned, how I'd give anything to be there to see Terry get this.
Well a wonderful soul named "Kat" offered to send me a plane ticket to do just that.
I of course could not accept nor would I, my health issues and new job do not allow us to see our beloved Jamaica right now.
But know this, like all the folks reading this, we are always talking about our next trip and just having a job allows us the chance to return again and for this we are blessed.
Terry Chair Soooon come.
As best I know, he is a wonderful person, well liked by his family, friends and his community.
He lives in the White hall area close by Negril.
He lost use of his body through a fall and his life has been changed forever.
He has one child and a wife, loving parents, and many friends who care for him.
My wife Betty and I were taken to see Terry last April/04 by Ms. Myrie the WhiteHall Basic School principal. She for some reason thought we could help him ?
Upon meeting Terry we were both overcome with the heat and emotion of seeing him laying in his bed simply surviving by his faith alone.
Don't get me wrong he isn't bitter at all,or over come with self-pity, he put us at ease quickly and briefly told us his story.
Terry sold everthing he had to go to Cuba to get an operation to regain some use of his body, he now has use of his upper arms and neck.
He lives in the back of his parents house in a very small addition and supports himself by selling items like pop, smokes, treats, to the locals in the area. He deals with people through the slats of his window.
His little tuck shop doesn't provide much, but he gets by, never blaming anyone or losing his faith that Jah will provide for him.
We asked what he needed or wanted and he said a power wheelchair or cart something he could get out and about in, yeah right, like we're going to snap our fingers and that's going to happen any time soon.
Leaving Terry with a promise we'd try and do something for him.
On our way back to Negril Betty and I talked about what we could do, if anything for him, Good Luck.
For some reason Ms Myrie thought we were rich tourists I guess, because we'd help her school with some computers and school supplies,wrong. We only wish.
After returning to Canada and our home, we started asking people on all the boards, our friends, co-workers etc. if they knew of anyone or anyplace we could get an electric wheelchair...no such luck, none to be found, for free, anyway.
After many months of asking and searching to no avail a casual conversation with my dearest and oldest friend Blaine Pritchett, Betty mentioned our search for a chair to him.
He calmly looked at Betty and said " I 've got one in my storage unit you want it? It's yours no charge".
It had been sitting in there for two years or more, did it work, could it be fixed, who knew ?
Blaine hooked up his trailer and hauled it to our apartment for us, again no charge, thats what friends do.. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
It's taken a few months and some heavy duty cleaning, some cursing, some prayers, and a little part made by our friend Charlie Sundal, but it's working well, and ready to go to Terry.
Getting it to him was a concern, I've been out of work and paying for this ourselves was out of the question.
I met, through the boards, Julie (Juju), she had seen a pic of Terry I had posted and rememebered her old friend. She was able to contact him and me as well. She inturn mentioned Terry and our plight to that "Negril Angel" of many causes Gail Jackson of the Negril Tree House.
Gail met Terry and started visiting him and taking people to meet him as well. She asked "Juju" to tell us to ship the chair collect if need be, she'd raise th money for freight, duty etc. through bake sales, or any other means to make it happen for him...Jah bless her. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Well fate has changed a few things, so I'll bring ya up to speed.
My wife's employers shipping manager (Charlie Skelcher)upon Betty asking for help in maybe wrapping it on a skid for shippment said "I can do better than that, one of our freight forwarding companies will pick up the frieght costs", did I mention they love my wife at her company. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
She got them to donate computers and pay for the shipping in that project also, a cool place to work and a nice boss to boot. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
Gail also informed me through Julie, that a man with a big heart from the US seeing my posts on another board has offered to pay all duty and taxes to get it into Jamaica, and you thought these chat boards don't effect people. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] He wants nothing in return and his name is to held secret, I have my idea on who he is and will respect his wishes but he too is an Angel.
My wife recieved confirmation yesterday (Friday /8 her birthday) that all is well with the frieght forwarding company and we have to get it over to the shipping department for shrink wrapping and off to the airport it goes.
It will take a few days to finally get it all
together, but hopefully it will be there around the 15th of April. I understand our mystery Angel will also be visiting around this time and we'd like him to see Terry get this chair.
A Final Foote Note:
In one of my many posts about this project I mentioned, how I'd give anything to be there to see Terry get this.
Well a wonderful soul named "Kat" offered to send me a plane ticket to do just that.
I of course could not accept nor would I, my health issues and new job do not allow us to see our beloved Jamaica right now.
But know this, like all the folks reading this, we are always talking about our next trip and just having a job allows us the chance to return again and for this we are blessed.
Terry Chair Soooon come.
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