Living with ALS

Wheelchair Safety 1

During the final six months of Bill’s life, his brother Howard, his wife Flo, Bill and I spent a good deal of time commuting between Port Orford, OR and Concord, CA. On one trip to Langlois Mountain to visit the Howard and Flo, Bill complained that drivers couldn’t see him and he often felt unsafe when he was out and about on city streets in his wheelchair. He felt that he needed a horn that could be heard - the "piece of crap that came with the chair" just wasn't cutting it! 

I will share with you that Howard and Bill shared a distinct glint in the eyes whenever either of them had a "great idea". Some have called in mischevious...I preferred to think of it as trouble - with a capital T! On this particular day it was Howard's turn to have "the glint". Four of us piled into the van and headed to the Radio Shack in Bandon. I’m sure you know where this is going!  The result:

• 12 volt battery operated siren horn - $25 on debit MasterCard

• Assorted wires, wire ties, cabling, duct tape and an assortment of AA batteries - $34 on debit MasterCard

• The ability to scare the living daylights out of your wife, dogs and any drivers who dare to ignore you – PRICELESS!

A few months later, Bill decided that the horn still wasn’t quite enough, so he and Howard, in a tequila/scotch inspired brainstorming session, determined that "launchable" rockets were in order. You know...like Top Gun. Howard headed back to Port Orford, enlisted the assistance of the local cub scout troop (he was a pack master) and returned to California a few weeks later with some very lifelike looking rockets – minus the gun powder - which were promptly mounted to the underside of the laptop tray on the wheelchair. Success!

The "boys" spent the remainder of Bill’s life trying to figure out how to actually launch the rockets without blowing up Bill, the chair or the surrounding neighborhood! Given enough time, I fear they may have succeeded. 

Thank goodness...the world will never know!