Every breath he takes

[Max]

Every breath he takes
By Jon Rutter
Sunday News

Published: Jul 31, 2004 11:07 PM EST



LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Timothy Nauman has a fleeting memory of the most violent instant of his life.
A wildly gyrating car sped toward him and his best friend, Brian Foss, as they drove down a Philadelphia street.

The car became airborne and flew into their vehicle, killing Foss and leaving Nauman paralyzed.

Nauman drifted in and out of consciousness at the scene. He spent seven weeks in critical condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

The other driver, Luis Ramos, who had reportedly been drag racing, escaped with minor injuries. He was jailed on homicide charges and will be tried in November.

Nearly a year later, Nauman, of Centerville, is still coming to terms with the aftermath of the crash and working to regain independence.

Family and friends are holding an Aug. 28 fund-raiser to help him pay for a handicapped-accessible van and other adaptive equipment (see details below).

Nauman's body is all but frozen from the neck down. A ventilator and a tracheotomy tube help him breathe. He cannot move his arms or legs. He cannot do basic tasks that most people attend to without a thought.

"Right now, when I read," he said, "someone has to turn pages for me."

When he is hungry, someone must feed him. When his glasses slide forward on his nose, he must ask someone to push them up.

Friends say the severe trauma has had remarkably little impact on Nauman's spirit.


http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/news/local/4/7844