Billy Jones knows the local landscape. As a true Clevelander, he was born and raised a Buckeye, and he called Northeast Ohio his home. But it was on a cold January night in 2024 when he was involved in an auto accident that forever changed his life in the blink of an eye.
A tragic story starts when his loved “noise machine” (Chevy Trailblazer) collided with a flatbed truck on a dimly lit road in Cleveland, Ohio. An unfortunate accident injured him at the C2/5 level, impairing the use of his hands, arms, and legs. “Immediately at that moment, after the collision, I tried to reach for my phone to call my wife and was unable to lift my arms at all. It was right then that I decided to wait until help arrived.” Bill’s accident happened only 2 miles from his home. The local fire department arrived to assist in pulling him out of the wreckage. And there they decided to transport him to the University Hospital. Moments later, a CAT scan and surgery were performed, and Bill was soon transported to MetroHealth.
After a week in the ICU, his family and friends were there at his side, but the thoughts in his head that consumed him were those of finances, independence, and work. How was he going to survive this? When will he be able to move again, and how will he pay his bills? He had to use his credit cards to help get through those troubling times. But soon his rehabilitation progressed in many ways, and he advanced through programs at MetroHealth. He regained control of his bowel and bladder, which was a huge step in his progress. “For me, it was a vital step in regaining my independence,” Bill said. Physical therapy was so intense and gratifying, he got back on my feet, literally. And even though his walking is not yet perfect, he continues to work on it.
His mental health suffered as well, and were it not for some of the social programs offered through MetroHealth, he doesn’t know what he would have done. Learning to talk about his injury with others who have shared experiences has made a world of difference for him and his family. “I’m able to listen to and hear others’ stories and experiences through a program called CANN, which meets as a social group every week.”
Continuing A New Normal (CANN) has given him the self-confidence and incentives he needs to reach the next level. He knew that using public transportation for people with disabilities was an option, and he used it a lot. It provided him with the ability to schedule his activities and to determine where he wanted and needed to go. But after a while, he knew he had the ability and desire to drive again, and to drive on my own. Listening to those people who have already taken the steps to drive, he wanted to do the same. Well, he now has his license again, and with time behind the wheel, he’s regained more independence.
His road to recovery is a long one. There are so many twists and turns he must navigate to get to where he wants to be and achieve the level of independence he wants. Embracing the new community of friends he has met and sharing their stories and problems with his own has shifted his focus to giving back to others by sharing what he is learning and now mentoring others. He looks forward to communicating with people who are newly injured and affected by their situations, and to seeing if he can bring them a sense of calm and a better understanding of their injuries. He says, “My outlook and focus on life get brighter when others’ outlooks get brighter also.”
