After His Spinal Cord Injury, Tom Maher’s Community Gives Back

Tom Maher is a problem solver. He has always taken great pride in being part of solutions for others. Now, his community is returning the favor.

In July, Tom was driving his motorcycle to work when he was struck by a drunk driver. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries and was rushed to Bronson for life-saving care. He spent nine days fighting for his life on a ventilator and underwent multiple surgeries.

As a result of his injuries, Tom is paralyzed from the chest down. His left leg was amputated below the knee.

Tom spent three weeks in Bronson’s trauma care unit. He came to the inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Program at Mary Free Bed where he immediately got to work on his recovery.

It’s a Give & Take

Tom is no stranger to rewarding work. As a member of the Kalamazoo Public Safety Department, he’s dedicated his career to lifting others up and helping them through the toughest of times.

But first and foremost, Tom is a family man.

High school sweethearts from Oxford, Michigan, Tom and his wife Jacqui, have been together for 20 years. Jacqui is a nurse and hasn’t left his side during his recovery. Their three kids, ages 13, 11 and 9, have been integral to Tom’s motivation during therapy.

Tom dedicated his life to caring for those around him. Now, at Mary Free Bed, he faced his greatest challenge: putting himself first.

“Working with Tom has been, for lack of a fancier word, remarkable.” said Jamie Schumaker, lead occupational therapist of the Mary Free Bed Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Program. “Tom’s ethos is that tomorrow is not guaranteed – you burn the fuel, you make the most of what you have, and you take care of those you love.”

Burning the Fuel

With his rehabilitation team led by physiatrist Dr. Sam Ho, Tom had his eyes on the prize: transitioning home. His intensive spinal cord injury program at Mary Free Bed included physical, occupational and recreational therapy focused on maximizing his level of independence at home.

“Tom’s unrelenting attitude to get the job done, do the work, and push past the barriers will serve him well as he gets home and continues his recovery and push toward independence,” said Jamie. “For Tom, there’s still fuel to burn, there’s still adventure to be had.”

Tom’s favorite therapy, he noted, is working with the Mary Free Bed animal-assisted therapy dog – Faith – who not only helps keep him motivated during therapy sessions, but also prepared him to return to Chloe, the family golden retriever.

“The therapists have gifted me an outpouring of positivity – teaching me how to be a man again,” said Tom. “Without having that mindset, it would be a much harder recovery.”

An Outpouring of Support

Tom’s main goal for independence is getting back to his everyday routine – and that’s something his community is getting behind.

Back home in Kalamazoo, many local organizations have come together to donate their services and raise support for the Maher family. Businesses and volunteers helped to renovate their home and make accessibility improvements.

Tom’s coworkers, friends and neighbors have been taking care of the Maher home – completing projects Tom was working on, doing yard work, fundraising, and helping to prepare his home for return. An anonymous donor has even donated a much-needed power chair.

Stretching far and wide, two Go Fund Me campaigns have been set up to assist Tom and his family – one is dedicated to offsetting the family’s medical costs, and the other is to raise funds for an Action Trackchair aimed at getting Tom back to his greatest joy in life – being outdoors with his kids. The Maher family loves to hike, hunt and fish together – and now, immersing themselves in the great outdoors will require new equipment. The all-terrain wheelchair will help make it possible.

Back Home & Back to Better

After nearly seven weeks of intensive rehabilitation work, Tom graduated from his inpatient program on September 14. He has his heart set on the simple things – like changing the oil in his truck, swimming and spending time with his kids.

He’s also discovered a new joy of being cared for… breakfast in bed.

“It’s because of the support from family, friends, community members, and the generosity of local business as well as the support I found here at Mary Free Bed, I am able to go home as a man,” Tom explained. “I can focus on getting better and becoming the best example I can be to my kids and the community. For that, I will forever be thankful.”

Tom hasn’t given up hope in walking someday, and we’re confident he will continue to inspire his community and give back in new and extraordinary ways.