If life was always fair, Tommy Van Zandt would still be walking. But he isn't. Yet, even though he is now confined to a wheelchair, Tommy stands tall in the game of life. For almost eight years now, he and his remarkable wife, Robyn, have shown others what good people do when bad things happen to them. They have kept the faith and stayed the course.
Life for Tommy Van Zandt changed forever in early 2009. If you were living in Northwest Arkansas on Jan. 27 of that year, you will remember it as the day we got hit with a horrendous ice storm of historic proportions. When the ice started melting, residents began to repair the damage to their own properties. That's what Tommy was doing the day tragedy struck. While cutting branches from a tree, he fell 15 feet from a ladder to the ground. Instantly, his body was paralyzed from the neck down.
In that moment, Tommy's independence vanished and his battle to live and to overcome began.
After surgery and spending a month in the Intensive Care Unit at Washington Regional Medical Center, Tommy was transported to Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Colorado. He spent months undergoing treatment, rehabilitation and therapy for his injuries and learning how to cope with everyday living. When Tommy returned home to Fayetteville, he did so with the knowledge he would require constant care and attention the rest of his life. Many people don't even survive the kind of injuries Tommy had, but with fierce determination and with the help of others, he now leads a productive and profoundly meaningful life.
Tommy journey to return to productivity has been a team effort. Excellent doctors, talented and compassionate caregivers like Lynn Blair, and Tommy's many caring and faithful friends have been there for the Van Zandts. All in their own way have made a difference for Tommy and helped to give him a chance to be all he can be. But the person who has shouldered the biggest load of all is Robyn Van Zandt. More than just his loving wife and tireless caregiver, Robyn has been Tommy's angel, too. She has been at her husband's side every step of the way, helping him keep body and soul together.
Tommy, who is in the commercial real estate business, was determined to resume his career to help provide for his family and to fulfill his desire to be an engaged citizen and a difference-maker in his community. To do those things, he has to endure a rigorous and lengthy daily regimen, one which all of us would find daunting. Each morning when he awakes, fluids are cleared from his lungs, he is cleaned and fed, helped into his suit and then driven to work. Later, when the night comes, he has to tolerate another necessary routine to get him ready for bed. Tommy simply made a decision along the way that he wouldn't let his paralysis determine his happiness or his ability to contribute. His story is one of courage and perseverance.
At a time when the line between what's real and what's made up has been blurred, we can still find examples of genuine inspiration in the lives of those we know, people like the Van Zandt family. Refusing to quit or wallow in self-pity, they chose to confront head-on the bad hand they had been dealt and reached down deep to find strength through the power of love and prayer. Tommy and Robyn Van Zandt didn't get bitter; they just got better. Rather than allowing themselves to fade into perpetual sadness and be immobilized by the gravity and complexity of their reality, they decided to rise from tragedy and to embrace the most precious gift of all -- life itself. In doing so, they have set a shining example for all.
Managing Tommy's myriad health care needs and providing him with the daily professional assistance he needs is expensive. That's why his friends will have a fundraising event in his honor from 7 to 11 p.m. oct. 14 at the Arkansas Air Museum in Fayetteville. Come if you can to support Tommy and to be a part of something that will make a difference for a very special person.
Tommy resolved long ago to make the best of the endless challenges he faces each day and dedicated himself to living life to the fullest extent possible. The way he lives inspires me and is a testament to the beauty of the human spirit and the willpower to take on whatever life brings. These are Robyn's words: "Tommy continues to be an inspiration. His inexhaustible patience, perseverance, positive outlook and love for others are amazing and graced with God's love and mercy for him and for all of us."
Commentary on 09/22/2016