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Twenty-year-old Steven Garman looks a little out of place in the water exercise class at the Blue Springs YMCA. He’s the only participant under the age of 60, his mother is by his side in case he loses his balance, and he seems to be concentrating much more than anyone else.
For Steven, his twice weekly trip to the YMCA pool is serious stuff. He’s desperately trying to regain his balance and strength after an auto accident that nearly cost him his life. The March 2005 crash left the St. Joseph, Missouri, teenager with a broken back and severe head injuries. At first doctors weren’t sure Steven would survive. Then they told his parents, Daniel and Barbara Garman, that their son would probably be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Fortunately, they were wrong. Through the miracles of modern medicine, dogged determination and the power of prayer, Steven has made a remarkable progress, but it hasn’t come easily. After a year of physical and speech therapy, and more than $300,000 in medical bills, Steven is slowly regaining his strength and the ability to do things on his own. The former snowboard instructor at Snow Creek Ski Area wants his old life back but he still has a long way to go to climb back up the mountain. Steven deserves credit for the progress he’s made, as do his therapists for their patience and his mother who quit her job as a teacher’s aide to coordinate her son’s medical treatment and therapy. Steven’s road to recovery has had a few setbacks along the way. The family moved to Lee’s Summit so Steven’s father could be closer to his job. Eight months later he was laid off. Daniel Garman not only lost his job, but also his family’s health insurance. That meant they had to apply for Medicaid to continue Steven’s therapy. It became much harder finding doctors, nurses and therapists who would accept Medicaid payments for his treatment. After learning that Steven used to be on his high school swim team, one of the doctors suggested that Steven try aquatic therapy. It was safer for someone with balance problems, a good way to build strength and with his love of water, a good way to keep Steven motivated. The only problem was that Steven didn’t have access to a pool and with neither of his parents working they couldn’t afford a YMCA membership. A state health care nurse contacted United Way 2-1-1 seeking $456 for a YMCA family membership so he could do aquatic exercises with his mother’s help. United Way 2-1-1 is a new easy-to-remember central phone number connecting people with available community resources and volunteer opportunities.
YMCA has a “Personal Pricing Policy” that takes into consideration a family’s ability to pay membership fees. After reviewing the Garman’s financial situation, the unusual circumstances and his need for aquatic exercise, the YMCA agreed to waive its fees, allowing the family to use its facilities for free. As for Steven, the water therapy seems to be helping. In addition to participating in the aquatic exercise class, his mother is working with him one-on-one in the pool. Steven is slowly getting stronger, improving his balance and gaining confidence. His father says that in the last few weeks Steven has been able to get in and out of the car himself, buckle his seat belt and type his own e-mail address. They are small steps, but they show that Steven is making progress. He still has a long way to go, but he’s on his way. |
