PVA Makes Things Possible: A Leader’s Story
By Robert L. Thomas Jr.
In last month’s column (Being Reborn, June PN), I gave you a breakdown of how I was injured and the steps I went through to get to a point where I was able to begin my rehabilitation journey. Now, I would like to take you through that voyage.
As I wrote last month, I chose the Cleveland VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) Medical Center spinal cord injury (SCI) unit to begin my rehab because it was close to home and my family.
However, before getting to Cleveland, my voyage first entailed a short visit to another Midwestern city. After I was stabilized at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, N.C., I was flown to the then-Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes in Chicago, where I stayed for three days. During my stay, I had one of the worst experiences that I’ve ever had during my injury. The medical staff wanted to start getting me up to a sitting position after being on my back for over a month.
The initial attempt resulted in me passing out due to them raising me too fast. The next day, they decided to get me up into a geriatric chair, which leaned back so they could gradually sit me up more in an upright position. This worked, and I watched an episode of Sanford and Son on television before being put back to bed.
I was then finally flown to Cleveland. Once there, I was greeted by the SCI chief, who let me know what they had in store for me. I was assigned a room with one other individual who had arrived there about a week before I did.
The next day, I was introduced to the recreational therapist and a Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) national service officer (NSO), who began to tell me all about PVA. The recreational therapist told me about how he had just returned from the National Veterans Wheelchair Games with a group of athletes who had won more than 50 medals.
That conversation sparked my interest, and I asked him how I could compete in the next Games. He then told me that he would develop a workout plan to build my strength so I would be able to go. But first, he told me to talk to the NSO to join the local PVA chapter.
The next day, I sat down with the NSO, who began to fill out all of the necessary paperwork that I needed to file a claim for benefits. He introduced me to the chapter membership officer, and I joined the PVA Buckeye Chapter.
While working with the PVA Buckeye Chapter, I began to see all of the things they do for members that made me want to get more involved. The chapter president told me about how I could become a volunteer on the SCI floor, and that was the start of my PVA journey.
I began going around to the other patients’ bedsides and talking to them about what it’s like living with paralysis. I did this for a while until one day the nurse came up to me and asked me to talk to a young man who had just been injured and was depressed and upset about his situation.
When I knocked on the door to introduce myself, I discovered it was somebody I’d served with in my first unit in Oklahoma. We began to reminisce, and I could see the change in his attitude. I’m not entirely sure why — perhaps it was because he knew somebody in the same situation, or perhaps it was recalling and talking about the past.
After volunteering for several years, I turned my focus to actually joining the chapter’s board, where I served as an alternate member. Then, I was appointed to the chapter board, filling an open slot until the next election. I was then elected to the chapter board, where I served as the chapter secretary. I served at the chapter level for 21 years. During my time at the chapter, I served in almost every position except for the treasurer and the chapter president.
In 2015, I was asked to study to become the national parliamentarian. Just like a good soldier, I accepted the challenge. I served as the parliamentarian for several years and then decided to put my name in the hat for a national vice president position. I was voted onto the PVA Executive Committee in 2017.
After taking office, I saw what the national organization does for its members, and I decided I wanted to help lead the organization well into the future.
In looking back on all that I have accomplished over the years, it reminds me of the first day I went to the weight room to begin rehab and saw a sign that read, “There are no disabilities, only possibilities.” I can only equate that to PVA being there through every step of my journey.
PVA makes things possible, and I’m excited to see where we’re headed next on my third term as national president.
