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Asleep at the Wheel
By
Michael J. Champ Jr.
On May 19, 1984 a major change in my life came about when I became a quadriplegic as a result of a automobile accident.
This event came to be as a result of falling asleep at the wheel while driving my blue Ford Bronco down Highway 168, early
one Saturday morning.
After getting off work on Friday night I headed for the gym where I had been spending almost every night working out.
After a brief workout, shower, change of clothes, and a hamburger from Carl's Jr. I headed for the Madera Fair Grounds to
check out the vast assortment of customized mini trucks that were being displayed at a rally being put on by a club from
Fresno. I walked around, for what must have been hours, talking to people and looking at an almost endless number of
customized vehicles from all over the Central Valley. At one point I remember finding out what time it was, about 2:00 a.m.,
and saying to myself "I have got to go home and pick up my uniform and be at work in a few hours." I had to be at my job
at Ball Tire Co. at 8:30 Saturday morning. As I climbed into my blue Bronco to head for home, I paused for a moment
before starting the engine. Something prompted me to put my seat Belt on. I never wore my seat belt except for when I was
four wheeling. I buckled the Simpson Racing Belt around my waste and headed for home.
With only a few hours to drive the 30 something miles from Madera to home and try to get some rest, I was driving in
excess of 70 mph down highway 99 until I reached Herndon Avenue. Careful to obey the traffic laws in town, I continued
East toward Highway 168. As I headed out of town, my journey was two thirds completed. I felt tired, but pushed on to my
destination: Home. As I rounded the corner at Tollhouse and Shepard, I remember nodding off for the first time. I guess I
didn't realize how tired I was. The bright street light shining down on the road, which was otherwise pitch black, sort of
perked me up, so I thought. But I wasn't but a mile or so from that point when I dozed off again. This time my Bronco
wondered off the highway onto the shoulder off the road. The roughness of the road woke me up only to have the headlights
reveal a telephone pole directly in my path. Being startled, I over reacted in my attempt to avoid the pole and steered my
Bronco head on into an embankment on the opposite side of the highway. At approximately 55mph, my Bronco flew
through the air and rolled several times ending up upside down.
Hanging upside down with my head against the roof, I tried to move but found it to be too difficult. I was so tired! And I
didn't really realize that I was upside down. I remember thinking to myself that I would just sleep a while and fix everything
later. The instant I closed my eyes I passed out and didn't come to until I was in the emergency room at St. Agnes Hospital.
Fortunately, a man who was headed toward the mountains to go fishing drove by my mangled Bronco and stopped to lend a
hand. There were migrant workers, who lived near by, on the scene attempting to release my seat belt and remove me from
the twisted metal. The fisherman stopped them from doing so and drove back to Clovis to call 911. Later, the paramedics
said that being in the position that I was in, if those migrant workers had released my seat belt, my body weight coming
down against my head that was resting against the roof would have killed me.
After a quick trip to the Hospital, I lay in the Emergency room covered with many small lacerations from broken glass. With
my neck and back stabilized, I woke up to doctors trying to put a tube down my nose into my lung that had been punctured
by one of my ribs. Later, after my parents arrived, the Neurologist told us that I had damaged my spinal cord and was
paralyzed. I had to stay in intensive care for about two weeks, after which I was then moved to a regular hospital room. I
spent four weeks on what is called a striker frame. Its like being sandwiched between two metal frames with webbing
stretched between them. They would turn me over in this contraption every few hours, first onto my stomach and then my
back. During all this time, they had my neck in traction by placing a thing that looks like old fashioned ice tongs into my
head, which was attached to a weight by a cable. Later, they would remove this and put me into a vest that was made from a
hard plastic material lined with lamb's wool. My head was supported by metal rods that extended from the shoulder area of
the vest to a stainless steel ring that was screwed to my skull. I would wear this for the next three months. During the time
that I was in the hospital I underwent physical, occupational, and recreational therapy where they taught me how to do
things using the little movement I had left. All in all I spent a total of four months in there.
I remember the night I was discharged from the hospital. On September 21, 1984, I was released from St. Agnes Hospital
where I went home to the house of my parents. I was a little scared to go home because my parents would be responsible for
taking care of me. There were no more nurses to call on for help. My dad came to pick me up. I was wondering how I was
going to get home, for I had to ride in my wheelchair at all times. When we got outside there was a van parked next to the
curb and dad preceded to put me inside. On the way home he revealed to me that the van was mine, and that friends of theirs
had donated money to buy the used van, and had a lift installed. The fact that I had a new van made going home a little
easier, even though I wasn't sure what would happen after I got there. Upon arriving at home we encountered difficulties
right away. Being an older home, my wheelchair could not fit down the hallway to my bedroom. I had to sleep in part of the
living room in a hospital bed. The only way to take a shower was to go into the bathroom that was connected to my mom
and dad's bedroom. There I had very little privacy and my modesty quickly dwindled.
After a couple of months we hired someone to come and help out. Mom was getting so stressed out from staying at home
with me. We tried to get along, but we kept getting on each other's nerves. Eventually, I found someone that I could trust
and decided to move into my own apartment. There I could have my freedom back and ease some of the hardship on my
family. Shortly after moving out, I began taking some classes at Fresno City College. I had a lot of work ahead of me. When
I was in high school, I focused my attention on automobile mechanics, welding, construction, carpentry, and drafting, but
didn't apply myself in English, reading, spelling, history, and mathematics. Due to the accident, I can't use any of the skills I
learned in high school and the jobs I had thereafter. I had to go back and take those classes that I didn't do well in all over
again. Unfortunately, I took too many classes and developed a pressure sore on my behind from sitting in my wheelchair too
long and had to quit school. I was bed ridden for approximately one full year, while I underwent two surgeries to repair the
damage caused from the prolonged sitting. During this period of time, deep depression set in and I began a period of what
would turn out to be ten years of extremely hard times.
1994 came around and I found myself losing a friend and seven year long attendant. This person was the one I depended on
for almost all of my care, aside from my family. This began a continuing problem of finding and keeping good attendants.
The government aid I get only pays minimum wage for my attendant care. This poses the problem of only being able to hire
people who are willing to work for this low pay, usually uneducated people, who have bad personal and work ethics. I
found this out the hard way. Some of the people I hired took advantage of me, some stole from me, and some used drugs
behind my back.
I thought that I had found someone that was reliable and could get me to school on time, so I attempted to go back to
school, this time taking only one class. This seemed to be the trick, not letting myself get too burdened at first. The
following summer semester I took 3 classes and did fairly well. Unfortunately, the people I befriended, and thought were
my friends, turned out to be the kind of people that should be considered enemies. They turned out to be a bad influence on
me, and I began using recreational drugs and drinking. School took a back seat to late nights at the local bars and a life that
was very unbecoming. It didn't take long to find out that this lifestyle was detrimental to my well being, as I would be left
all alone in my apartment for hours at a time. I ended up having to drop the classes I was enrolled in during the Fall of
'94.
One day, in 1995, when I was in the waiting room at my Dr.'s office a woman, who had also taken a class that I was in,
recognized me. She began talking to me, and the conversation led to her inviting me to the singles ministry at Valley
Christian Center. I made a few new friends at V.C.C., and eventually gave my pitiful life to the Lord. As my faith grew
stronger, things began to gradually get better and I was able to shake the depression. I started going to church on a regular
basis, and took a series of biblical studies. I was on what I call, AA self improvement mission.@ I took a good hard look at
my life, and the ten years that was wasted, and decided to do something about it. I got rid of all the toxic people in my life,
who were dragging me down, and I decided to take another shot at going back to school. I took an English class and a PE
class. This would be the first of thirteen successful semesters. My newly found outlook on life and dedication to Christ has
given me confidence in many areas of my life. I went about my education as if I were doing it to please God, and myself of
course. As the semesters went by, I took harder classes and met each new challenge with excellence. Along with my FCC
classes, I took several classes in biblical studies at the church I was attending. I thought, if I was ever going to get married,
I would have to make myself desirable. Since I couldn't do anything about my disability, I went about improving my
attitude, social standing, and spiritual awareness.
My biblical studies led me to a men's ministry called
Promise Keepers. Myself and four other men from my church, drove
to Oakland CA to attend a Promise keepers conference held in the Oakland Coliseum. There we joined some 50,000 men in
worship, and to study God's word. I began meeting with a group of Promise keepers here in Fresno, approximately once
each month for breakfast, worship, and bible study. Another ministry that I have been involved in is Bill Glass Prison
Ministries where I volunteered for four years. I have gone into both the Fresno Juvenile Hall, and the
Fresno County Jail to minister to inmates. In 1998, I volunteered to help both Chosen Women & Promise Keepers with
their conferences that were held at Bulldog Stadium.
I have become quite computer literate while studying here at FCC. I worked with Darlene Loftus, here at FCC, one
semester volunteering in one of her classes in the Hi Tech Center. There, I helped a student learn to use a computer. I
have been teaching my whole family to use the computers that they have. I want them all to be able to keep up with today's
growing technology. I set my Dad up with an account with an Internet Service Provider, and showed him how to use email
to communicate with friends and business contacts while he working out of state. My mom has been using the information I
taught her to write letters and make business fliers for the classes she teaches at home, and Clovis Adult School.
My
niece used the computer I bought for her in her classes at High School. Also, I have
been trained in Income Tax
preparation through VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and have
volunteered time to help people
fill out their Income Tax forms. Despite all my limitations I have been
able to go to school and keep up a high grade point average and still find time
for extra-curricular activities. All things being equal, which they are not, I
have achieved beyond that which society would have expected of me.
My commitment and determination has been the driving force that fuels my
success.
At
FCC, I started out with a Political Science Major because I didn�t know what
type of career I would be able to work at with this severe of a disability.
After a few years of general studies, I began exploring the field of both
architectural and mechanical drafting. This
seemed to be a logical choice because of my background in both mechanics and the
building industry. I had taken a
class in high school in both areas and liked it very much.
The drafting field has changed in that it no longer requires the
draftsman to do hand drawings, but to create computer drawings.
This use of technology and computers has opened an opportunity for me in
the field of Architecture and CADD (Computer Aided Drafting and Design). After
almost completing my degree in architectural drafting, I took a required class
in CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) technologies.
This really sparked my interest. I
began shifting my schedule to include more classes in this area and decided to
completely change from a degree in architecture to dual major in CADD and CAM.
To some it may seem as a waste of valuable time, but the architecture
classes will come to use later as I want to use the knowledge to design and
build my own custom home.
I
finished my CADD degree in 2002 with highest honors and was awarded the Dean�s
Medallion in the Applied Technology Department.
It was nice to receive such admiration and reverence from my peers.
On occasion, a teacher or respected peer will reveal to me the sense of
inspiration they receive from witnessing my ability to overcome hardship and
still find the strength to accomplish so much with so little.
I received my second degree in CAM in the fall of 2003, again with
highest honors. I also made the
Deans List in the fall of 2000, spring of 2001 & 2002, fall of 2002, and the
spring of 2003. I am a member of Phi
Theta Kappa international honor society as well.
In addition, I have kept up a 4.0 GPA and have received several
scholarships that include: the KFSN TV Scholarship and Marissa Barfield Memorial
Scholarship.
After
completing both degrees at FCC, I transferred to Fresno State in the summer of
2003 to complete my bachelors� degree. Since
I have been at CSUF, I have joined ATE (Advance Technology Enterprise) as a
member my first year and my second year as Vice President.
In addition to the club activities, I have kept up a 4.0 GPA and have
received several scholarships that include: Leon S Peters End� Agriculture
Scholarship, fall 2003 & spring 2004; Sara Struthers Scholarship, fall 2004
& spring 2005; Stephens Scholarship, fall 2004 & spring 2005; Industrial
Technology- Alumni Scholarship, spring 2005; Karl Faulk Memorial Scholarship,
fall 2003 to spring 2005. I also
made the Deans List consecutively from the fall 2003 till the spring 2005.
I
plan to use the information I am learning to pursue a career position in the
manufacturing industry. I want to
become financially independent from the government assistance that I am
currently receiving. This is
why I am so dead serious about my schoolwork.
It is not uncommon for me to have the highest number of grade points of
all the students in my classes. Not
long ago, I heard someone say, �If you want to be considered great, you have
to strive for perfection,� and so I do. One
of my goals is to out perform everyone else with the same degree, so that I will
have an academic advantage that will equalize the perceived deficit I have with
my disability. I know that if I
expect employers to hire me, I better have some reasons for them to do so.
My hard work and determination, along with my academic standing and
record of community service, should be a winning combination that will allow me
to reach my goals of financial independence and success.
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