I recieved this link to an article this moring featuring my cousin who is confined to a wheel chair after an accident that has left him without the means to get up and walk, but never took away his faith in God or his zest for life and the fight to succeed.  Being raised Seventh Day Adventist, his faith was ingrained in his soul  before the accident in which the scafold he was on gave way throwing him to the ground with a bundle of roofing materials landing on his head. Michael, (we call him Mike) has over come many hardships, but has always retained a great sense of humor.  He is an inspriation to many.

The construction company Mike worked for at the time of the accident did not carry insurance on their workers, and so it was an uphill battle with doctor bills.  His wife could not face this tragedy and soon left him, so he has been living with his mom and dad for all the years since the accident. They are an amazing family and have the same faith of course that Mike does and this has seen them through.

The Home that my cousin’s live in, in Cookville, Tennessee sits on a hill and backs up to a forest. After a time of healing Mike being an out door person all his life, needed a way to get out into the woods. That can be a difficult challenge if you are confined to a wheelchair. Wheel Chairs do not roll over the Forest Floor too easily. So Mike set about the task to have a wooden path built from thier back door out into the forest, and it is the most awesome thing I have ever been on. When I visited, I took that walk out into the Forest all  by myself and never felt so close to Nature or God in my life. The sounds and the sights were amazing. I could see why Mike loved this spot so much. As I walked ablong the path, it got even better, as they had built a bridge over a little gorge. The Beauty and the peace was something I will never forget. His goal for that spot is to build a Wheel Chair Accessable tree house so him and others can have the experience to going up to be closer to God.

 Now that Mike has gotten his Contractors license he is going to build green houses that are accessable to people in wheel chairs and special needs. He is all about giving back even though he has his limitations.

A few years ago unbenown to Mike, the students he graduated with from the Adventist Academy, held a fund raiser and at a party that Mike did not know was being held for him.  He was presented with a Wheel Chair Accesable Van, that had also been fitted with the equipment that he could drive himself. I remember him sending me an e-mail after he took it out for the first time, and telling me how it felt to have the freedom to take himself to Wal-Mart and the Post Office.

With the Healthcare bill that Congress and this Administration wants, Mike would have been seen as a person that was of no use in Society. I beg to differ with this government as you look around you there are so many productive People in society that have lost limbs and it dosen’t stop them from acheiving certain goals. Many double amputees have gone back to fight again in the war against terror and once again stand with many other heros.

I have given you my version of my cousin as my Hero, but here is the link to the Cookville, TN Paper that has an article about him.

A unique Approach to doing business

Laura Gwinn

Herald-Citizen Staff
Sunday, Sep 06, 2009