Helping a neighbor in need
GUILFORD – “Nice” and “sweet” might not be the words most people would choose to describe a teenage boy, but for Kerry Nesbitt there is no other way to describe the actions of her 15-year old neighbor, Dalton Johnson.
Nesbitt’s life took a sudden turn in mid-April when she suffered an aortic aneurysm. After 17 weeks of hospital stays and rehabilitation, the once active 38-year old is finally home, but her recovery is far from over.
“I’m paralyzed from the chest down,” explained Nesbitt, as a result of what she called an “incomplete spinal chord injury,” which allows some movement. She has about a 50/50 chance of walking again, she said, but for the time being she must use a wheelchair to get around.
To accommodate her currently limited mobility, Nesbitt said she and her husband Darrin have had to add an addition on their house, refit their bathroom to make it accessible and greatly change their routine.
While she once handled most of the daily chores on the couple’s 15-acre dairy farm, Darrin now juggles milking and caring for their herd of 70 Ayrshires along with his day job selling feed. He also helps with her care.
“It’s a long day for him,” she said.
Throughout their ordeal and as they adjust to the drastic changes in their lives, the Nesbitt’s have had the support of other farm families in the community.
“In the beginning, they all brought food,” she explained. Those same neighbors also held fundraisers to help pay for some of the work that needed to be done on the house.
She has been touched by their kindness, especially that of Dalton Johnson, who took it upon himself to raise money for Nesbitt by organizing a tractor ride.
“I thought it was an awfully nice, sweet thing to do,” Nesbitt said.
According to Johnson, the idea came to him after he and a friend passed their tractor safety course earlier this year. He began organizing the fundraiser in June, seeking support from other neighbors and even the Bainbridge Rotary Club, which contributed $250.
On Saturday, August 1, Johnson and more than a dozen others participated in the 30 mile ride, raising more than $500 for their cause.
Their route started in Guilford on Phillips-O’Dell Road, where the Nesbitt’s farm is located, then on to Sidney and Bainbridge before returning home. The trip took the group 3 1/2 hours, including a pit stop at the McDonald’s in Sidney, where the fast food restaurant provided free refreshments to the riders.
According to Johnson, it wasn’t just the Rotary and those who participated in the ride who made donations. “People stopped us on the way,” he explained.
And even though it has been already been over a week since the fundraising ride, he is continuing to collect donations.
“People are still calling,” the teen reported.
Anyone interested in making a donation can do so by calling Dalton Johnson at 895-6001.
Nesbitt’s life took a sudden turn in mid-April when she suffered an aortic aneurysm. After 17 weeks of hospital stays and rehabilitation, the once active 38-year old is finally home, but her recovery is far from over.
“I’m paralyzed from the chest down,” explained Nesbitt, as a result of what she called an “incomplete spinal chord injury,” which allows some movement. She has about a 50/50 chance of walking again, she said, but for the time being she must use a wheelchair to get around.
To accommodate her currently limited mobility, Nesbitt said she and her husband Darrin have had to add an addition on their house, refit their bathroom to make it accessible and greatly change their routine.
While she once handled most of the daily chores on the couple’s 15-acre dairy farm, Darrin now juggles milking and caring for their herd of 70 Ayrshires along with his day job selling feed. He also helps with her care.
“It’s a long day for him,” she said.
Throughout their ordeal and as they adjust to the drastic changes in their lives, the Nesbitt’s have had the support of other farm families in the community.
“In the beginning, they all brought food,” she explained. Those same neighbors also held fundraisers to help pay for some of the work that needed to be done on the house.
She has been touched by their kindness, especially that of Dalton Johnson, who took it upon himself to raise money for Nesbitt by organizing a tractor ride.
“I thought it was an awfully nice, sweet thing to do,” Nesbitt said.
According to Johnson, the idea came to him after he and a friend passed their tractor safety course earlier this year. He began organizing the fundraiser in June, seeking support from other neighbors and even the Bainbridge Rotary Club, which contributed $250.
On Saturday, August 1, Johnson and more than a dozen others participated in the 30 mile ride, raising more than $500 for their cause.
Their route started in Guilford on Phillips-O’Dell Road, where the Nesbitt’s farm is located, then on to Sidney and Bainbridge before returning home. The trip took the group 3 1/2 hours, including a pit stop at the McDonald’s in Sidney, where the fast food restaurant provided free refreshments to the riders.
According to Johnson, it wasn’t just the Rotary and those who participated in the ride who made donations. “People stopped us on the way,” he explained.
And even though it has been already been over a week since the fundraising ride, he is continuing to collect donations.
“People are still calling,” the teen reported.
Anyone interested in making a donation can do so by calling Dalton Johnson at 895-6001.
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