Viking_Yearbook_78

Tom owns his own customized van though he still must depend on someone to drive it until he can save up the $3 .000 needed to install hand controls . Eleven years ago Tom Smith dove too shallow into the Pudding River near his parents' farm in Mt. Angel , Oregon and broke his neck. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, and atrophied hands as a result of damaged nerves. Now 27, Tom hasn 't let his injury hamper his outlook on life. " I take one problem at a time, do my best, and enjoy life, getting the best out of it I can ." A PSU senior majoring in Business Administration , Tom 's first goal is to get into a state of federal management position. " The state has given me so much money for tuition , grants, and vocational rehabilitation needs that I feel like paying them back . " My second goal is to get out of PSS housing! " Tom hopes to purchase a house which is accessible to his special needs. He will need it for the family he and his fiancee , Patty Herold, are planning to start after their marriage in September. And eventually, when he can save $3,000, he plans to install hand controls in his customized van so that he can enjoy the freedom of driving himself. Aside from needing a little more help from their friends, Tom feels people should realize that the handicapped " are just as normal as anybody else," although they have to psychologically contend with some physical dependency. " My biggest hang-up is being dependent for certain things like getting dressed." A little dependency hasn 't prevented Tom Smith from being an exceptionally involved individual. A real mover, 67