William Roland

William prides himself on his independence. For many years, he was the owner/operator of Roland’s Heating and Cooling in Lavergne, Tennessee. In addition to the repair and installation of central heating and cooling systems, Roland’s also performed air & water systems balancing, air duct cleaning, boiler installation and repair and more.

As a result of the accident, William sustained a C6 spinal injury. An injury at this level typically yields wrist control, but no finger control. For a number of years, William was in a nursing home, but did not like it. His daughter Chelsea told me that William is a very positive individual, and that he told her that he only needs the right resources in order to gain more independence. Chelsea lives in a small town in Georgia, and decided to move her dad in with her. He asked his daughter not to give up on him because he was not going to give up on himself. He found out about our foundation through the United Spinal Association, and applied for a grant for rehabilitation gloves. (Joe is a blog writer for the North Texas chapter of this organization) Because they live in a small town, proximity to physical therapy is an issue, as is the cost of ongoing therapy. These type of gloves help to “reprogram” the brain after neurological damage, helping patients reverse damage and restore mobility. The goal with these gloves is to not only help make the hand functional again, but also minimize joint damage and pain.

After receiving the gloves, his daughter Chelsea told me, “Amazing is an understatement! Thank you all so much. I will try to get a video of the gloves while my dad has them on and operating for you!” Yes Chelsea, that would be amazing!