Client Story: Gary Wical

A Community Comes Together

Gary Wical, an Ohio farmer and Vietnam War veteran, and his wife, Nelle, have been raising corn, soybeans, wheat and hogs for more than thirty years on a rented farmstead. In February 2007, Gary sustained a traumatic injury when his pant leg was caught in a PTO driveline, resulting in a bilateral above-the-knee amputation. While Gary was still in the hospital, Gregg Sparks, Gary’s neighbor, began organizing friends and neighbors to help him. Before long, Gregg had amassed a team of forty neighbors united in a single mission: Get Gary back to farming. A committee formed and fund-raising events were planned by neighbors, the fire department, a local fertilizer and seed company, county Beef and Pork Producers, and the Wical’s church. With a strong support system in place, Gregg and a small workgroup began researching where to find help for Gary.

One neighbor had a friend in Kentucky who had lost a leg and he suggested contacting the AgrAbility project and ‘a guy in Indiana’ who knows all about farming with a disability.

An Internet search brought Gregg Sparks to the NAP website. In mid March, Gregg contacted Mary Beck, rural rehabilitation specialist for NAP. After speculating that lifts for farm vehicles and an all terrain wheelchair might be useful accommodations for Gary, Mary connected Gregg with Mark Novak, NAP agricultural technologist and engineer. Mark provided Gregg with several resources related to lifts, all terrain wheelchairs and more. He also gave Gregg contact information for Life Essentials and its owner, Hubert Von Holten,‘who was that guy in Indiana.’ Mary suggested Gary apply for services with the Ohio Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency as soon as possible. She explained the mission and services of the VR agency and gave him contact information for his local VR office. Mary further emphasized that VR may be able to provide disability-related assistive technology to accommodate workplace barriers. Mary described the Amputee Coalition’s peer support program as well as the Ohio extension service for agriculture-related resources. Fortunately, Gary was already connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system because he had served in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Gregg and other neighbors began assessing Gary’s farm operation, trying to identify the resources and assistive technology Gary might need to continue farming. A few weeks later, Gregg talked to a Greene County, Ohio State University (OSU) extension agent who mentioned Purdue’s Breaking New Ground (BNG) program. Steve Swain at BNG sent Gregg several resources and a copy of BNG’s Toolbox, which Gregg then used to organize his assessment process. Hubert Von Holten, from Life Essentials, visited Gary in mid-April. He and Gary had a useful and encouraging conversation despite the frank discussion about what Gary may not be able to do anymore. Gary’s decision to discontinue the hog operation was reinforced during their conversation.

Gary’s road to recovery and return to farming has not been smooth. He missed part of spring planting in late April when a staph infection landed him back in the hospital. The infection also delayed getting his prosthesis. The local VA was very helpful in acquiring the prosthetic when Gary was ready. They assisted Gary and Nelle in applying for the VA’s Millennium Bill Emergency Coverage for veterans who are treated in a private facility and do not have health insurance.

Gary’s in-laws, Rick and Chris Ankeney, bought him a used Kubota 4x4 for farm mobility and his son modified it with hand controls. Gary says that with a slide board he can transfer from his wheelchair to the utility vehicle with relative ease. The Kubota has been invaluable in helping Gary get around his farmstead.

During June and July, Gary met with Jackie Givens, an Ohio VR counselor. In addition to completing the BNG agricultural worksite assessment, Gregg and his workgroup provided Jackie with information about farming with an amputation, fabricated and commercial lifts, all terrain and outdoor powered wheel chairs, power hitching systems, plus cost estimates and potential vendor resources for each piece of equipment. These resources were obtained from the NAP website and from BNG’s Plowshares. Gary’s VR plan included the purchase of a portable lift for his truck, hand controls for several vehicles, and a journeyman scooter. The engineer VR contracted to design the hand controls

Color picture of Gary and Nelle Wical, with neighbor Gregg Sparks (in front).
Gary and Nelle Wical with neighbor Gregg Sparks (front).

found information on hand control modifications on the NAP website useful as he prepared his designs. Jackie Givens said it was a pleasure to work with Gary and she was very impressed with the tremendous amount of work Gary and his family and friends had done.

More setbacks hit Gary and Nelle in August, when they learned that the home they had rented for more than thirty years was sold. They turned this setback into an opportunity to accelerate a dream of owning their own home. Gary and Nelle decided to build an accessible home on property they purchased more than two years ago. If the winter is favorable, the house should be ready by the beginning of 2008.

The committee to get Gary back to farming mushroomed to eighty neighbors and relatives, who managed to raise $73,000. Because VR was able to purchase the necessary farm accommodations, the committee gave Gary and Nelle the money to use as needed. Nelle says that all “the neighbors and even strangers have been so nice. God still has a purpose for Gary or he wouldn’t be here. I can’t believe his attitude, either. I don’t think I would have been this strong.”

This farmer’s resolve, the resources and network that make up AgrAbility, and the caring and powerful family and community surrounding the Wical’s have helped make it easier for Gary to continue farming.

Next: Focus – National AgrAbility Project

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Section 1: Client Story Section 2: Focus – National AgrAbility Section 3: Meet Our Staff	Section 4: Who Do I Contact If... Section 5: Contacts