Aug 1, 2023

^{Aaron and His Wife Juametta by Their Newly Refurbished Vehicle}

Aaron Anderson works and lives in McKinney, Texas with his wife and four- and eight-year-old daughters. McKinney is a northeast suburb of Dallas. He worked for Encore Wire, the leading U.S. manufacturer of copper and aluminum wire for residential and commercial construction. Aaron was the lead wire operator in charge of creating different sizes of aluminum wire. He created the large spools of wire that you often see on construction sites.

In May 2023 teenagers invaded his home by kicking in the front door. Upon hearing the commotion, Aaron grabbed his weapon and ran toward the front door. Unfortunately, he did not see one of the intruders who shot him from behind.

This bullet was the catalyst for a life-changing injury for Aaron. As it entered the top right side of the shoulder, it then traveled downward and hit his spine in the T10 area.

After the shot was fired the intruders ran off, and Aaron’s wife and child were unharmed. Following surgery, Aaron learned he was paralyzed from the waist down, and he has no feeling below his stomach. After three days in the ICU Aaron was released to inpatient rehab for 30 days where he learned how to transition into his new life. Following his release from the hospital he entered outpatient rehab to work on gaining additional skills and strength.

Aaron’s wife Juametta works for the city of McKinney and is heavily involved with the Toastmasters organization. Her mentors in Toastmasters are neighbors of Joe Groh, Founder of the Joseph Groh Foundation. This foundation was created to provide information, advocacy and financial support to people in the contracting industry who are affected by life-altering disabilities. Aaron applied to the foundation for a grant for driving controls and a wheelchair lift for his truck. Currently, Juametta helps Aaron get into/out of his pickup by helping him transition from his wheelchair to a stepladder, and then from the ladder to the floorboard, then finally from the floorboard to the seat of the truck.

Thanks to the Contributions of Generous Donors, the Foundation Was Able to Provide Help for Aaron and Juametta!

^{Wheelchair Lift and Driving Controls Being Installed}

The foundation worked with Baylor Rehab to enroll Aaron in their Adaptive Driving School, then worked with United Access to retrofit Aaron’s vehicle for driving controls, a Turny Evo (a device allows Aaron to transfer from his wheelchair to the vehicle) and a lift to hoist his wheelchair onto the bed of the truck. “Thanks so much to you guys,” Aaron told the Foundation,“Y’all are life changers!

Daikin is a proud supporter of The Joseph Groh Foundation. William's story is made possible through the generous donations of the Foundation's sponsors. Light your beacon for others and become a Joseph Groh Foundation Luminary today.