Medical Assistance for Norman Vinyard

We are raising money to bring our brother, Norman Vinyard, home.

If you are a semi-truck driver in the United States, if you are a part of the foster care and adoption community, if you are a Christian or just a compassionate person, your “brother” needs your help!

Norman has provided services to this nation as a semi-truck driver for most of his working life. He has been a dependable, conscientious, and safe driver. For those of you who don’t know what the life of a trucker is like, let me help you understand. Norman was one of the lucky ones in that he was usually not gone more than a week at a time. Gone all week, but then only had 34 hours off to be with his family, not even two whole days! Much of the time at home he spent preparing to leave again. Trucking is tough on a person and their family, but you’re not earning an income if you're not driving. Norman was a dedicated worker and wanted to provide for his family, so he hit the road again week after week.

Norman and his wife, Collette, met when she became a dispatcher for the trucking company where he worked. It was love at first sight, and soon they were married and settled down to raise her two daughters, who Norman soon adopted and loved as his own. He has been a wonderful Christian man and provided a good life for his three girls. As the children grew and had children of their own, an unfortunate situation arose whereby they adopted their three grandchildren. Feeling very blessed and with great compassion, they entered into their God-given calling of fostering more children. Over several years, they fostered 68 children and adopted two more. When one of their daughters was a high school babysitter, they learned that the three siblings she had grown to love were going into foster care, so Norman and Collette stepped up and took them in. They fell in love with them, too, and adopted them two years ago, this past Valentine’s Day.

Norman planned to work until he was 70, which is in May of this year; however, he had decided to retire at the end of 2021. One month before he retired while on duty, he fell backward out of his big truck and landed flat on his back. He lay there in the dark and cold several hours before he was discovered by a passerby who called an ambulance. He was diagnosed with a broken rib, treated for a blood infection, and discharged from the hospital. Unknowingly, he had compression of his spine and was becoming septic. He took an Uber back to his truck from the hospital, and the good samaritan she was, she helped him up into his truck. He was alone for seven hours until his wife could get to him.

Norman was attending physical therapy for his injury but felt he was getting weaker rather than stronger. A few weeks after his fall, he got up during the night and on his way back to the bedroom, he collapsed. His wife called an ambulance, and he was life-flighted to St. John’s Mercy in St. Louis, where he had surgery resulting in his vertebras C3-C7 fused. He is paralyzed from his shoulders down with only very little movement in his left arm.

He was in St. Louis for seven weeks and then flown to Denver for admission into a Level 1 rehabilitation hospital for spinal injuries for therapy and training. There have been no real improvements, but he is learning to operate an electric wheelchair with the slight movement of his left arm. He will be discharged in late March or early April.

Because his final collapse was at home, workman’s comp insurance is denying his claim, and his insurance won’t cover a fraction of what he needs. He requires an electric wheelchair for which their out-of-pocket expense will be $15,000. The hospital has donated a $5,000 bathroom chair, and insurance will cover almost all of his bed, mattress and floor lift. There are several medicines he needs which aren't covered by insurance. He needs a full-size wheelchair van to accommodate his chair and, hopefully, three little ones, which will cost at least $80,000. Norman’s brother is building him a wheelchair ramp, but modifications have to be made to his home to widen doorways, modify cabinetry by the openings and create a roll-in shower on the main level. They have already incurred many expenses, including $52,000 for his flight to St. Louis and $7,000 for his flight to Denver.

Norman is a polite, respectful, responsible, good person who always puts his family first. He has a strong faith and has raised his children to believe in God. He is also a humble and proud man who would not ask for help on his own. That is why we, his family and friends, are pleading on his behalf for your help. If you can donate anything, it would be much appreciated. Although God is the only one who knows whether Norman may walk again or even hug his children again, you can help make a difference in his life. He is “Home” to his wife and children; let’s get him home!

We also ask that you keep Norman in your prayers!

May God bless you!