We provide free weekend experiences at a fully accessible lodge and 640 acre property in West Michigan for people with physical disabilities who deserve to feel that too.
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We want to be able to share this feeling with others. Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to private property for hunting. Simply securing space on public land is difficult, while setting up a blind for a quad or paraplegic is nearly impossible. Hunt 2 Heal has private property, a large parcel of prime hunting grounds, where we can turn the dreams of disabled people like me into reality. A barrier-free lodge with living quarters and all the amenities needed to make any visitor feel welcome and secure is onsite. Specially designed hunting blinds with groomed trails and assistance from skilled guides afford easy access and functionality for any type of wheelchair or adaptive equipment. This is a warm and comfortable place where we can introduce newcomers and experienced hunters alike to the enriching experiences found only in nature.
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In October 2016, I was in a bad motorcycle accident that left me paralyzed from the chest down due to fractures of the T3 and T4 vertebrae of the thoracic spine. I also fractured the C1 and C2 in my neck and was lucky to not have any spinal cord damage there. I was very fortunate to still have my arms.
As you might have guessed, recovery from an accident like mine is quite a process, with a lot of ups and downs. Put simply, there just wasn’t anything easy about it. Unfortunately, fractures to multiple bones in both hands further complicated the healing process — both physically and psychologically. I had to have alternating surgeries on my hands, so it was a very difficult healing process. As a result, I did a lot of sitting around... a lot! All of this idle time and pain led to a lot of depressing days, and the mental challenges were becoming equally, if not more, difficult to overcome than the physical barriers.
I would think every day about all the things I COULDN’T do, about the activities that I wouldn’t be doing ever again. And I had enjoyed so many great experiences in my life up to that point; basically, if it was something to do with the outdoors or wheels, I was in. There were sooo many things that I was going to “miss” out on. The depression appeared to be getting the best of me.
This was hard, but I wasn’t going to let it take over my life. I’m going to enjoy every last minute of the rest of my life and get back into my love for the outdoors and motorsports. Unlike many others in my position, I am fortunate to have such a supportive group of friends and a large family that really stepped up when I needed it the most. My brother got me back onto the lawn mower, riding three-wheelers on the ice, boating, fishing, and anything I wanted to do, he’s there for me! My friend Dave would throw me over his shoulders to carry me into the hunting blind. My close friends got me back to Colorado skiing the first year after my accident. I’ve also gotten into hand cycling and many other things this past summer. I’m not a therapist or anything, but I tell you what — these activities are far more effective than any drugs or therapy.
Above all, I discovered that getting back into the wilderness proved to be the most important benefit to my emotional and spiritual well-being. And this is how Hunt2Heal was born.
