Doug Barker's Story - #doingthisfordoug

Meet Doug Barker

Doug Barker’s Story

See full video: https://www.facebook.com/651951072/videos/780660842571702/

February 8, 1993 @ 9:30pm

As a volunteer paramedic, married, father of 2, Doug Barker knew after his head hit the boards during a hockey game he was likely quadriplegic. But Barker, who had fallen face-down after tripping on a rut in the ice, still had to spend 20 minutes on the ice imploring his fellow Tuelon Tiger teammates not to turn him while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, while trying to move parts of his body.

It was a long wait: body heat from his face began melting the ice and forced his teammates to use straws to suck the water away from his nose. He was correct in his assumption about the initial diagnosis. He had broken his neck in six places and was indeed a quadriplegic. He has up to C5/C6 level of motor and sensory functions and is able to move his arms and fists but not his fingers at all. When he was told he would never be able to drive again, his only response was "that's not acceptable".

Fast forward 17 years, in 2010, he designed a tractor that he can operate while seated inside it in his wheelchair. While there had been other tractors designed for people with physical challenges, Barker was the first to have a tractor that allows a person in a wheelchair to operated it while still seated in their wheelchair. It's called the "Independence".

This incredible man is very positive and unstoppable, he became a farmer and maintained his electrical license to this day with someone else's hands doing the work with him guiding them.

In 2012, he had a van that was retrofitted with gear so that he could have even independence. You can't put a price on that freedom.

In August of 2019, while driving to his daughter's house, Barker almost lost his life again. A young man who was texting and driving collided with Doug almost head on. Both vehicles were a total loss. Thankfully, both Barker and the young man survived.

Barker was insured and even paid for the extra premiums to make sure his van was covered for up to $80,000.00. It wasn't until after this second accident that he learned the insurance agent made a massive mistake. Unknown to both Barker and the insurance agent, the van was supposed to have been appraised before the policy was drawn up for him. In the end, they gave Barker $26,000.00.

Barker used that money to purchase a new van, however it only has the floor lift so he can't get into it on his own, nor can he get out of it on his own. The freedom he enjoyed for the past 5 years was completely gone. That is brutally hard on one's mental state.

To date, there are no known grants or funds available to people with spinal injuries. The government has drastically reduced funding for this cause as well. Because the companies that make or sell specialized modification equipment are all privatized now, the items even more expensive. In order to get Doug back on the road independently, he will have to pay $80,000.00 out of pocket, because the van has to be shipped to BC in a highly specialized facility that does the retrofits he needs specifically. As it stands now, his wife has had to postpone her retirement for another 3 years just so they can continue to budget and save to give Doug back his freedom.

Doug's story is so much more involved that what is even written here so there is a link to my facebook group "See a Need, Fill a Need. Pay it forward program" included in here so you can see the full interview. Barker and his family have had a pretty rough go of things, yet you would never know the enormity of heartaches they have had to face because they are the most positive people I have had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life.

Having said all this, we are asking for your help so we can give Doug the opportunity to regain some of his independence, buy raising enough funds to get his van modified as soon as possible. We realize that things are tough for everyone these days but if you can, please help us help Doug.