Michael is a 80-year-old Baltimore County resident and Korean War Veteran who signed up for the home-delivered meal program two years ago soon after his wife Stephanie passed away.
He’s lived alone since 2022 and has adapted well in finding his independence. But Michael’s health started to decline 15 years ago and has obviously taken a physical and emotional toll on his life. He had 12 surgeries due to blood clots in both of his legs, which eventually led to both legs being amputated. While Michael has faced much adversity, he has shown incredible resiliency to remain living independently in his own home where he has lived for more than 50 years. As Michael said, “You see, I don’t worry about it too much. What happened, happened, and there’s nothing that can be changed. I’m not going to grow any new legs, but I’m able to get around with ramps that I have had installed in my home.”
Michael vividly recalls the time he spent in the Korean War, where he served from 1969 to 1970. “When I left basic training, they took us on a plane to Louisiana. The people that got off that plane went to Vietnam, but the folks that stayed on that plane went elsewhere. After I was drafted, I was stationed in Fort Gordon, Georgia, and that’s where I learned to work in communications, which included working the radios, switch boards, the message center and splicing field wires. I had to learn how to splice field wire and operate field phones, and that’s how you make your phone call to the switchboard, which is important to keep things going in combat.”
Since Michael is confined to a wheelchair, Michael has made numerous modifications to his home so that he is able to move around his house. “I have wheelchairs in my basement and the front porch, and a chairlift that I use to go down to the basement, which is something I do twice a day.”
Before joining Meals on Wheels, Michael was having to fix meals on his own. However, he noticed he wasn’t getting a balanced meal once his fingernails started to crack and peel. “It’s quite simple – I wasn’t getting the vegetables I needed, and so I contacted the organization to sign up for its meal program. I had to take care of my fingernails and eat a more nutritious and balanced meal, and the plan worked.”
Because Michael is very handy around his home, he also participates in daily activity building older, vintage model cars and regularly exercises by using his ramps and wheelchair. “I’m doing these activities, such as building model cars, to make sure I stay busy and active. It keeps your mind sharp. I also do physical exercise daily. I use my back patio ramp and ride the wheelchair backwards to maintain my hand and grip strength because I’m literally walking on my hands.” As Michael explained, he even does what he calls ‘wheelchair pushups’ and uses his 10-pound dumbbells daily to maintain strength in his arms.
Despite his daily hurdles, Michael is resilient. “I don’t have a fingernail problem anymore and I feel I’m eating a more balanced meal. I started to see the change right away. My health greatly improved after I signed up for Meals on Wheels.”