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A little help getting out of the rain: Doctor helps young man's family get van with a wheelchair lift
Journal Photo by Monte Mitchell
Donnie and Laura Perry help their son Harley Hendrix secure his chair while using the lift. A number of businesses and individuals pitched in for the van.
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Published: November 18, 2009
NORTH WILKESBORO - Before Harley Hendrix was paralyzed from the chest down in a wrestling tournament, he would have sprinted to his car when a sudden storm arose.
But as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled during a September soccer match, Hendrix and his mom, Laura Perry, huddled in a baseball dugout as people left the field.
Hendrix, who is now 18, was injured March 21 at an AAU wrestling tournament in Concord when his head and neck absorbed most of the force in a fall. His C5 and C6 vertebra were dislocated.
Since his injury, the family would typically attach his wheelchair to the back of the car, and then put a tarp over it. But they didn't have the tarp the day of the storm and waited for it to pass, scared and wanting to go home.
"That's probably the worst thing we've ever had to do," Perry said yesterday, as the family was presented a van with a wheelchair lift.
When it rains now, they can load up and go.
The van was donated through Window World Cares, the foundation of Window World Inc., a company based in North Wilkesboro. With 217 locations across the country, Window World is the U.S.'s top provider of vinyl replacement windows.
Part of the money for the van came from the foundation. The other part was donated to the foundation by Wilkes County people who wanted to help Hendrix.
Idea versus reality
Hendrix's pediatrician, Dr. Tim Van Noy, had seen him at that soccer match in September. He had noticed the storm clouds rolling in and asked the family what they did when it rained. They told him about the tarp, and how Hendrix and the wheelchair got from place to place.
Van Noy decided to get them a van.
He found out it was harder than he thought it would be. He ran into roadblocks. A number of plans didn't work out.
But then he called Todd Whitworth, the president of Window World. Whitworth immediately said "yes."
Whitworth's wife, Tammy Whitworth, leads Window World Cares. The two worked with a number of people and groups to get the money for Hendrix's van, including Specialty Car Co.; Larry and Diane Stone; Arnold and Becky Lakey; Lee Herring; Vannoy Construction; Wilkes Pediatrics, where Van Noy practices; and Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief agency based in Boone that has a warehouse in North Wilkesboro just down the street from Window World.
"I would like to thank everybody who contributed," Van Noy said yesterday as Hendrix and his family received the keys to the van. "May God bless each of you for that."
The 2007 Chevrolet van will also eventually be equipped with hand controls so that Hendrix can drive it.
"It means a lot," Hendrix said yesterday. "It'll help a lot."
Competing as always
When he was hurt, Hendrix had made it to the semifinals of the Southern National AAU tournament.
His opponent had his arm in a hold, and Hendrix landed on the mat without being able to reach out and break his fall. Perry was in the stands. She saw her son's friend try to help him stand up and then saw the friend lower Hendrix back down.
Hendrix was screaming. He said he couldn't move. He said it burned for people to touch him.
In the weeks after the injury, he couldn't lift his arms to scratch his head. He stayed in the hospital until May 8.
He's still progressing. He can use his arms to feed himself, and to roll his wheelchair. Doctors say the future will tell how much movement and control return.
Despite his long hospital stay, Hendrix graduated from West Wilkes High School on June 6. He had wrestled for the school in the 130-pound weight class.
He says he's not sure what he'll do next, but he says he hopes to keep getting better and maybe go to college next year.
He is regaining strength and plays wheelchair rugby in Charlotte.
Some of the other players have lift-equipped vans. Hendrix's new van will also provide some space for the rest of the family to ride to the matches. The Perrys, Don and Laura, have seven children, some biological and some adopted. They have been the host family to many other foster children.
Van Noy, who has been Hendrix's doctor for two years, got choked up when he talked about Hendrix's injury. But he said the injury didn't affect Hendrix's character.
"He's not changed any," he said. "He's a wonderful young man….His smile is extremely contagious."
mmitchell@wsjournal.com.
336-667-5691
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