PLYMOUTH – In 2001, Josh Kampe had his life all planned out. After studying criminal justice at DCMO Boces and participating in the New Visions Program for Criminal Justice, Kampe planned to continue his studies in that area and go into law enforcement. All of that changed, shortly after he graduated from Otselic Valley High School.
In July of 2001, Kampe was involved in a single car accident that left him severely injured and put all of his plans on hold, but through hard work and perseverance, the 26-year-old is continuing along the path he originally chose.
Only a month after graduating from high school, Kampe had to be airlifted from the scene of the accident to Wilson Regional Medical Center. His accident put him in a coma for 17 days and left him with a broken back and traumatic brain injuries. “They didn’t expect me to live,” he said. When he came out of the coma, his left side was paralyzed, and he was unable to walk on his own. For 77 days, Kampe remained in the hospital, during which time, more than one third of his brain had to be removed. “I had to have a lobotomy. I’ve gone through it all,” Kampe said.
While Kampe was confined to his wheel chair for more than a year and a half, he didn’t let his condition stop him from living his life. In 2003, he decided to start taking college classes. He explained that the process was difficult at first. “I took one course at a time, but I had a lot of difficulties remembering what I read,” he said. With the help of his mother, who would read from his text books as he completed assignments, Kampe was able to complete the course, and several others. In 2004, he made the Dean’s List, and last week, after completing 72 credits, Kampe graduated from Herkimer County Community College with his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice.
While he has reached a major milestone, he doesn’t plan on stopping there. Already, he has started taking additional courses toward completing his Bachelors Degree. “Since I started taking classes, my goal was to do whatever I was able to do, and my physical abilities have increased exponentially since then,” Kampe said.
When asked what he planned to do once he finishes his degree, Kampe was unsure. “I don’t know where I’ll be by the time I finish,” he explained.
While Kampe has been working toward his degree, he has also been tinkering with some ideas and inventions that he hopes to complete in the near future. Ideas for improved water wheels, wind mills and other energy producing devices have been a constant interest for Kampe, and he hopes to patent some of his ideas in the future.
Another goal of Kampe’s is to someday start a foundation for others with brain injuries. He said he hopes he could help others who have been through similar situations to interact and offer support for one another. While his family and close friends have been supportive through his ordeal, Kampe explained he has mostly sat at home for the last eight years. “It’s hard, everyone has their own life,” he said.
To celebrate Kampe’s graduation and to thank the people in the community who have helped him achieve what he has, Kampe will be holding a graduation and thank you party beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Blarney Stone Pub in Norwich. He has already invited members of the emergency squad, the helicopter crew that airlifted him to the hospital after his accident, hospital staff, his physical therapists and countless others who helped him on the road to recovery. Anyone attending the event is asked to bring a can of food for the food pantry or an item donation for the SPCA.
Kampe explained that good friends and family got him through this ordeal, and he wants a chance to thank everyone who helped him get to this point.