Max
09-02-2003, 01:06 PM
Hardship for disabled man's family eased by state rehab department
By Julie Goodman
jgoodman@clarionledger.com
RIDGELAND - Nine months ago, 23-year-old Justin Halliwell's life was drastically altered.
The recent college graduate was traveling with a buddy in North Carolina, where he had gone to job hunt, when his friend slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a rabbit. The car flipped and hit a tree on Halliwell's side. Halliwell was seriously injured.
Instead of pursuing his business career, Halliwell now spends his days in a wheelchair with his parents at his Ridgeland home, struggling to walk, talk and eat. The only thing that could have made his traumatic brain injury worse, his family says, is if the state had not stepped in to help.
"I'm taking care of my 23-year old son like I did when he was 3," said his mother, Jeanne, from their home. "Even though we've been through a horrible tragedy, we feel very lucky. And the state Department of Rehab, independent living, has been a big part of that. They've been one of the blessings along the way."
The state Department of Rehabilitation Services oversees the Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, money that helps families like the Halliwells transition to a new life - in a state with one of the highest number of brain and spinal cord injuries in the country.
The department, along with dozens of other agencies, will go before lawmakers this week to discuss funding for the upcoming fiscal year. While lawmakers have said money is tight, the department is still asking for a small increase in funds to expand its home and community-based programs.
Butch McMillan, the department's executive director, said an extra $500,000 would serve at least another 100 people over the next year. "The Legislature has been extremely good to this agency, they can see that we've been accountable in trying to improve our programs in the past to come through with these dollars," he said.
Currently, the department works with a budget of $124 million, most of which is federal match money.
The budget hearings, which begin Tuesday, will help members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee determine how much money to give state agencies.
"They run a good ship out there, and it's hard to say no to them because most of that money we give to them is match money," House Speaker Tim Ford, a committee member, said of the department.
Ford, however, also said the state is facing a shortfall of more than $500 million and must find ways to cover the hole.
Halliwell's parents were elated when their son emerged from a four-month coma after the accident, exceeding doctors' expectations. Their son has had difficulty swallowing and has limited short-term memory. He also has lost his ability to speak in anything other than a mumble, which his parents have come to understand.
"Years ago, his only choice may have been to go to a nursing home," said Shelia Browning, who heads special disability programs for the department.
"He's young, he's vibrant. That's not where he needs to be," she said. "We're able to help people like Justin to come straight home."
The department uses the trust fund, which garners about $2 million a year through speeding ticket and DUI citation fees, along with other sources to help bring victims home from the hospital. It helps families modify their homes, purchase medical equipment and hire respite care.
The department helped the family adjust the door to Justin's room, widening it to accommodate his wheelchair. It also helped modify the bathroom, adding a handicap-accessible shower complete with a roll-in wheelchair. It even arranged for a caretaker for Halliwell when Jeanne Halliwell and Justin's father, Allan, who run a sports photography business, needed to attend a convention for a few days. Halliwell can now walk with assistance, and is expected to regain mobility in his legs, his mother said. His speech is improving slowly.
He has learned to pet their family cat with his clenched hands - something he wouldn't be able to do from a nursing home.
"Every hurdle that has been placed in front of this kid, he has overcome," his mother said.
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By Julie Goodman
jgoodman@clarionledger.com
RIDGELAND - Nine months ago, 23-year-old Justin Halliwell's life was drastically altered.
The recent college graduate was traveling with a buddy in North Carolina, where he had gone to job hunt, when his friend slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a rabbit. The car flipped and hit a tree on Halliwell's side. Halliwell was seriously injured.
Instead of pursuing his business career, Halliwell now spends his days in a wheelchair with his parents at his Ridgeland home, struggling to walk, talk and eat. The only thing that could have made his traumatic brain injury worse, his family says, is if the state had not stepped in to help.
"I'm taking care of my 23-year old son like I did when he was 3," said his mother, Jeanne, from their home. "Even though we've been through a horrible tragedy, we feel very lucky. And the state Department of Rehab, independent living, has been a big part of that. They've been one of the blessings along the way."
The state Department of Rehabilitation Services oversees the Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, money that helps families like the Halliwells transition to a new life - in a state with one of the highest number of brain and spinal cord injuries in the country.
The department, along with dozens of other agencies, will go before lawmakers this week to discuss funding for the upcoming fiscal year. While lawmakers have said money is tight, the department is still asking for a small increase in funds to expand its home and community-based programs.
Butch McMillan, the department's executive director, said an extra $500,000 would serve at least another 100 people over the next year. "The Legislature has been extremely good to this agency, they can see that we've been accountable in trying to improve our programs in the past to come through with these dollars," he said.
Currently, the department works with a budget of $124 million, most of which is federal match money.
The budget hearings, which begin Tuesday, will help members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee determine how much money to give state agencies.
"They run a good ship out there, and it's hard to say no to them because most of that money we give to them is match money," House Speaker Tim Ford, a committee member, said of the department.
Ford, however, also said the state is facing a shortfall of more than $500 million and must find ways to cover the hole.
Halliwell's parents were elated when their son emerged from a four-month coma after the accident, exceeding doctors' expectations. Their son has had difficulty swallowing and has limited short-term memory. He also has lost his ability to speak in anything other than a mumble, which his parents have come to understand.
"Years ago, his only choice may have been to go to a nursing home," said Shelia Browning, who heads special disability programs for the department.
"He's young, he's vibrant. That's not where he needs to be," she said. "We're able to help people like Justin to come straight home."
The department uses the trust fund, which garners about $2 million a year through speeding ticket and DUI citation fees, along with other sources to help bring victims home from the hospital. It helps families modify their homes, purchase medical equipment and hire respite care.
The department helped the family adjust the door to Justin's room, widening it to accommodate his wheelchair. It also helped modify the bathroom, adding a handicap-accessible shower complete with a roll-in wheelchair. It even arranged for a caretaker for Halliwell when Jeanne Halliwell and Justin's father, Allan, who run a sports photography business, needed to attend a convention for a few days. Halliwell can now walk with assistance, and is expected to regain mobility in his legs, his mother said. His speech is improving slowly.
He has learned to pet their family cat with his clenched hands - something he wouldn't be able to do from a nursing home.
"Every hurdle that has been placed in front of this kid, he has overcome," his mother said.
Send this article as a postcard
http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0309/01/m05.html