Unable to pay for medical treatment, my mother & father had no choice but to make me a ward of the court so that needed medical care could be given. Most of my early surgeries were performed at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital including operations on my hips in addition to several spinal fusions and other surgical procedure too many to name. At the moment I have 2 Herrington rods in my back in addition to wire and screws.
I have been confined to a wheelchair since I was able to push one. I am guessing 4 years old. At 8 years old, my mother put me in a foster home as she couldn't take care of me any longer. To make a long story short, I had to be addmitted for a second spinal fusion. After my operation and after I was ready to go home a new family came to take me home. I didn't even think twice about why "this family" was taking me into thier home and not my mother. This family's name was the Bradish's. They were a family of four. All I remember was the older boys name was Bart and the Mothers name was Vicky.
I wonder at times if my mother felt guilty about my disability and that's why she put me into the foster care system. Putting both of her sons in the system would justify the reason for not telling the truth. I was in several homes including Fred & LaVerne Gibson's home with their 6 kids and several other foster children until I turned 18, when I decided to try it on my own.
I graduated from Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, Ca. in 1981. Abusing my body and not taking care of myself, I developed a horrible stage IV decubitus ulcer on my left butt cheek almost costing my life. I had this wound for over 7 years. After many unsuccessful tries at healing it on my own, I was admitted to Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in 1982. In 1983, I lost my left leg do to that sore. Using my leg as a flap for closure and after numerous surgeries and 7 months confined to a bed, I was released. I was a free man. Unknown to me at the time, I was developing a large abscess where the Dr's closed the previous sore. Within a few weeks, It was a huge sore again. That's when I decided to move to Bakersfield in 1986 to get medical treatment at one of the hospitals there called Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, part of the CHW network of healthcare facilities.
Being in a chair hasn't stopped me from doing the things I enjoy. I work full time as an IT Help Desk Technician. I am the owner and DJ of Music To Go - Music Service for the past 7 years in Bakersfield, California. After 7 years of having a life threatening sore, the nightmare was over. It was completely closed up and healed. In the year 1988 I was discharged and moved into my own apartment in the southwest part of Bakersfield.
Being out of the hospital gave me that sense of independance again but there was always that voice inside me telling me to don't overdo anything or I might end up back in the hospital. I had everthing I needed in that small apartment to keep me happy with a little help from friends at Mercy Hospital. Elaine and the others through me a "going away" party which provided me with most of the everyday essentials needed to cook and clean.
Over a year later I was introduced to Carlene Kilpatrick. I quickly fell in love with her and we married December of 1989. For a more detailed information, please click here. To make a long story short, I divorced her 3.5 years later due to infidelity.
I owe this all to the dedication and help from the nurses and staff of Mercy Hospital, especially the nurses at the Skilled nursing Facility. I will never forget the 2 years I spent there as a patient. In the year 1988 I was discharged and moved into my own apartment in the southwest part of Bakersfield.The Enterostomal Therapy department was the first stepping-stone to a full recovery, which Elaine Anderson was a major factor in getting me admitted to Mercy. Many thanks go out to Dr. John Lang for his remarkable wound closure. In these pages, you will see pictures and other items I have collected throughout the years. Enjoy!
After much thought, I recently closed the business to be able to spend more time with other projects around the house..
My Hobbies include The Beatles, Stephen King, Automobiles, Computers, Stamp & Coin Collecting and playing online games with friends.
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