Old Harbour man donates wheelchair to high school friend

But a year before his 30th birthday Mighty suffered a major accident that changed his life forever. On that unforgettable morning, Mighty climbed an ackee tree in which he was attacked by a swarm of wasps, and in an state of panic fell out of the tree. He tried to run after slamming to the dirt turf but his legs failed him. Help came after a few shouts before he was rushed to hospital. While in hospital, he learned that he had damaged his spinal cord as a result of the fall and will never walk again.

Since then he has been bound to a wheelchair, his survival dependent on assistance from a few family members and friends. For the most part he has been on the rough side of the mountain and in the last few years move about in a wheelchair without rubber.

It’s difficult to maneuver the wheelchair he tells Old Harbour News in an interview recently.

“A chuu mi skil mek it no dash mi we a’redi,” said the 48-year-old in a high pitch tone with his eyes wide open.

But the risk he takes wheeling about in his unsafe equipment has been significantly reduced with help coming from a friend he has not seen in almost a decade.

Omega Hancel, who now resides in British Columbia, Canada, recently returned to the island where upon seeing his high school brethren “wept in his heart”.

“It really pains my heart seeing him in such condition. After talking to him he told me about the poor state of his wheelchair. I had to help,” said Hancel who grew up Nightingale Grove.

“I haven’t seen him in ages. But I always think about him,” added the then Old Harbour Secondary past student, who returned to his home country to pay final respect to his late father.

Aside from mourning the death of his dad, Omega made a promised to himself that he would reach out to Mighty when he gets to Jamaica.

“I was happy to see him and after  having a long chat I immediately made contact with Patrick (Rhoden) to see what could be done to help my friend,” he told Old Harbour News.

Patrick Rhoden is the head of the non-profit Health Aid Organization based at Sugar Way, Island Farm, an adjoining community to where Mighty lives.

Through charitable means, Rhoden’s organization repairs and retrofits equipment for the disabled community. A physically challenged person himself, Rhoden was all too happy to play his part.

“To move about in a wheelchair like he had is not safe,” said Rhoden. “But this new one that him get now is safer and easier to maneuver now.”

A very happy looking Mighty is more optimistic than ever.

“Mi feel the pain dem from mi waist line go right down to mi foot dem,” he said outlining his challenges using the old wheelchair. “You never know, a comfortable chair might lead to walking.”

Interestingly, Mighty specifically requested a manual wheelchair instead of a modern battery-powered prototype. His response was equally interesting.

“Mi prefer the hand one because the fancy one dem ago temp mi to go out too far from Village, and mi no want dat,” he reasoned. “Mi no want get lef out a road too far from mi yard.”