Success Story
Late one night in November 1996, the Lord’s Prayer got Jay Davis
through. It was around midnight that evening that the truck he
was riding in collided with two deer, flipped off the road,
smashed into a tree and came to a rest upside down, pinning Jay
and a friend inside. Shortly after dawn, a pair of hunters
discovered the two and called paramedics.
“I held on by
saying the Lord’s Prayer until help arrived,” said Jay. It was
two weeks before he was lucid enough to comprehend his
condition, and the news about his injuries was not encouraging.
He had fractured his third, fourth, fifth and sixth vertebrae
and would not walk again.
Hospitalized for three months, he
had surgery to fuse his neck. At a Birmingham rehabilitation
center, his father and therapists pushed him to keep working to
recover, to stay positive. But no one was tougher on him than he
was on himself.
“I was determined not to complain, to
just keep on pushing,” said Jay. The accident changed not only
Jay’s lifestyle, but also how he would make his living. The
one-time golf pro now had to consider other options, and the
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) was there
to help him get his life back in order.
“VRS (Vocational
Rehabilitation Service)and SAIL (State of Alabama Independent
Living Service) have made a huge difference,” he said. When Jay
returned home, SAIL furnished attendant care, medications,
medical supplies, and specialized equipment, including a shower
chair. Meanwhile, VRS Counselor Amber McLain provided employment
assistance, helping him draft a resume to send to Sylacauga
businesses. Soon thereafter, Glenn Raley, owner of a local
automobile dealership, called and asked Jay to interview for a
receptionist position. “I had no idea Jay had a disability,”
said Raley. “I was shocked to see him in a wheelchair.”
Jay was not discouraged. “Mr. Raley, being a car man, I didn’t
think wheels would bother you,” he said.
Jay got the job.
He’s been a positive addition to the business, Raley
said.
“Not only is Jay an outstanding employee, he’s also an
inspiration in the showroom,” he said. “No one can have a bad
attitude around Jay.” That trademark positive attitude has him
looking to the future, possibly as a motivational speaker for
others who face overwhelming odds.
“I would tell them what I
went through and the lessons I learned,” he said. “And no matter
what happens to you, it’s like my Dad says, ‘Don’t give up, the
reward is too great.’ ’’
