Empty Stocking: Man moves from counselor to counseled [The Lima News, Ohio]

Dec. 21--LIMA -- Jerry used to be the one who helped people. Now he's the one looking for help.

That's hardly new. Read back over the Empty Stocking stories over the past few weeks and it comes up time and again, the people who once made donations to organizations such as Bradfield Center and the Salvation Army are now the ones with their hands out. But Jerry's (not his real name) story is unique. Once, not that long ago, it was his job to help. As a counselor, he talked people through their problems, gave advice and sent them to the agencies he now visits in search of assistance.

"I used to treat and council people. I was never in need of anything like this. I never had to go to the Salvation Army, wouldn't have considered it. Now, here I am," Jerry said.

For Jerry, everything changed about four years ago. His wife was pregnant and he knew they would need more money, so he took a job on the side, helping an uncle in the construction trade. He was working one day when he fell from a scaffold, plunging to the concrete 20 feet below. What followed changed his life.

"I went from a guy with two jobs and a pretty good life to a guy with all these troubles," Jerry said.

Those problems include surgeries, therapy and endless battles with insurance companies and care providers. The accident left him weak and in constant pain. The pills he takes for the pain make him increasingly resemble the men he once worked to help.

"The amount of prescription drugs I'm on, just so I can sit up straight or walk around, it would put a normal Joe to sleep for a week," Jerry said. "I know what people think when I go in. I used to counsel these people with drug problems and addictions. Now they think I'm one of them."

Jerry divorced his wife since the accident and now cares for their 4-year-old son. The boy is the reason he approached the Salvation Army for help.

"I don't get much money, but obviously what I get, he's a priority. I make sure he has food and gets clothes, has a coat, things like that, but there's not a lot left over," Jerry said.

So Jerry is hoping for some help to play Santa Claus this year. Like most 4-year-olds, his son wants toys. He likes Power Rangers or Spider-Man and about anything else.

"He's a busy boy. He's 4, and pretty much everything that means," Jerry said.

The Empty Stocking Fund benefits three cooperating agencies: Bradfield Community Center, Cheryl Allen Southside Community Center and the Salvation Army. Money can be donated by sending it to The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima OH 45807, or by dropping it off at any Superior Federal Credit Union branch. Donations of new toys and nonperishable food items will be accepted at The Lima News office. For past stories, go to www.limaohio.com/emptystocking. These stories use assumed names to protect the participants' privacy.

You can comment on this story at www.limaohio.com.

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