Meeting a hero would be the highlight of many people's lives, BUT the eventual part the words spoken played in my life IS the main focus of this story.

Mickey Mantle's words were catapulted back into my memory
when many many years later almost to the day ~
my life was changed forever.

I suffered a freak spinal injury
while working at the business I worked at with my Father & Mother
Tomck's Band Box ~ A Country Western / Oldies Music Lounge on Brookpark Road, in Parma, OHIO.
I was planning on taking over the operation of the club
in the next few years and was planning on that being my livelyhood.

I was filling ice bins as I had everyday for 8 years
with a bucket that could not have weighed more than 30 pounds full.
I slipped on some spilled ice and immediately felt a sharp stab in my back,
after a few minutes my legs started to tingle
so I left the bar to my help and went home thinking it was just a bad muscle strain.

After a hot bath I fell asleep while watching the "Blues Brothers" on TV & when I woke up three hours later
- I had absolutely NO feeling NOR could I move my legs.

I thought maybe they had fallen asleep BUT that had NEVER happened to me before and I had never heard of both of anyones legs falling asleep at the same time

I started rubbing them to get the circulation back but there was no response and I could not feel the rubbing

I realized there was something seriously wrong

I had to drag my 6'6" - 220 lb frame across the room
using ONLY elbows to reach the phone to call 9-1-1

I was taken to my hospitals emergency room
& after some delay and discussion as to the extent of my injuries - I was transferred to another hospital
better suited to handle this type of injury
At the new hospital I was immediately given a milo gram where they invert you on on a table and inject a die into your spinal cord column to see any blockages or damage
they found extensive damage

I was there only 1 1/2 Hours before I had an emergency surgery.

I'll never forget one of the first things which happened after I came out of the anesthesia ~
~ it was right out of the movies or a tv show ~
I saw a doctor talking with my mom in the hall outside my room and she was crying.
He came in without batting an eye told me
"Bill, from the experiences I have had with similar types of injuries I give you very little chance of ever walking again".

I was -- to say the least speechless

I started to cry and could not understand how this could happen

He went on to explain somehow the disc which separated L1 & L2
had been damaged while slipping in the attempt to lift the ice bucket
and had exploded while I was sleeping. This had blown out & destroyed the nerves to my lower body
causing the paralysis

He added he had NEVER seen such an injury and his prognosis was just speculations

Can you imagine being a single, independent, active, healthy young man,
playing golf a few times a month, playing softball, running 3 miles a day
living life to its fullest - then a scant couple of hours later
being completely helpless.

It was the Nightmare we all hear about - I tried to tell myself this was not happening to me
But it was

It was during the initial days of this ordeal my father brought the picture to me
and reminded me as to what "The Mick" had said.
"Pray for the Impossible"

I also was reminded of my Aunt Helen Pecek,
now deceased, who always told me to Pray a Novena to St. Jude,
the patron saint of miracles and hopelessness & lost causes if I ever needed anything.

A novena is to be said 9 times per day for nine days
then when your prayers are answered you are to post a public thank you to St Jude

So with the inspiring words from Mickey Mantle & the advice from my Aunt Helen
I started to pray for the seemingly impossible - to walk again.

Again, HERE
is the Novena PRAYER to St Jude and The Sacred Heart of Jesus I SAID OVER and OVER
( I ESTIMATE I said the novena at least 10,000 TIMES IN THE ensuing 2 and a half years -
I still invoke it today

And recommend anyone who is need of a Miracle to stop
at that link and at least read The St Jude Novena Miracle Prayer

+ + + +

I went one step further - as some people do when confronted by such overwhelming circumstances & I made a solemn promise ....
IF my prayers were answered and I was allowed to overcome this devastating situation ....
I would find ways to help others

~~~~~~~~~

I drifted through the gamut of emotions,
even contemplating suicide but dispelled that option quickly

I kept a digest and used it to document my feelings
and eventually turned it into a book
to help others it is also an inventors digest --- more on that later
I am going to make the book available on the net soon as a read file.
~~~~~~~ more on that below

My leg muscles which had been well formed and very articulated were now like mush
In addition there was NO knee jerk or ankle response to the hammer stimuli
nor was the any reaction to the pin prick tests.
--- there was no neuro-muscular reaction to any stimulus

I lay in the hospital the first 8 days after the operation
very depressed, thinking about my situation.

I was without ANY feeling or motor function from my waist down

I was immediately assigned a psychologists to help me deal with the changes in my life.

Through the hospital occupational therapy program I would be learning about paralysis
and how to function on my own.

I had lived alone an on my own for 7 years and was determined to continue to do so ~
I would learn how to use a wheelchair ~ how to make a bed and cook from a wheelchair ~
~ reach for items from the wheelchair,
everyday things everyone takes for granted
actions as simple as putting on socks or putting on a shirt.

I also was shown how to perform personal care tasks -
taking a shower, cleaning / emptying my waste bags - brushing my teeth -
getting something out of the freezer - checking for bed sores ---
AND performing other hygiene tasks
These all were enormous hurdles.

I recognozed some problems facing people with limited mobility needed addressing and I eventually invented a device to help them
More on that further down on this page

I kept repeating the prayer to Saint Jude Found HERE over & over again.

As stated above, I was single and decided I was not going to impose my situation on anyone no matter what the outcome
I had to learn to be independant, again.

I was urinating through a catheter and using a bag for uncontrollable bowel movements.

On Day Three after the operation I was introduced to the first of three EMG tests ((Electro mylogram
or Electromyograph, milogram, myelogram ))
which eventually became pure torture.

They needed the results of this test to compare to any further progress I might make

An EMG measures muscle response to stimuli and nerve conductivity.
During the procedure a receptor is inserted into your your foot
and then needles are PLUNGED into muscles in your legs at various locations.
An electric shock is passed through the needles and courses it's way to the receptor
to measure nerve response and muscle reaction.
As I had no feeling in my legs, the first of these tests was not painful
even though they stuck the needle in 15 times in each leg and shocked me ( 30 times )
This changed as I slowly started to get more sensitivity back.

The first test showed no trace of muscle / nerve activity

Then - on the 11th day after the injury / operation - for some reason ( unexplainable by my doctors )
as I lay in bed trying to mentally force my toes to move
I saw my left big toe twitch
I called a nurse and told her, she thought it was just a spasm,
so I repeated the feat. The nurse called in a doctor - He asked me to do it again -- and I did

My doctor said - this was "impossible "
as the EMG test had shown no nerve or muscle activity or conductivity had been present
He had NEVER seen this before

The doctor administered the pin prick test and his mind changed as
I FELT Some slight sensations in certain confined areas ---
he immediately ordered another EMG which showed some response
and he started a me on a more strenuous in hospital physical therapy program
1 1/2 hours total per day.

BUT

There was hope.

Were my Prayers being answered ? Was a door opening for me to do the impossible" ?
I decided I had to make every attempt to "Walk" through it ~~

I prayed even more, repeating the prayer time after time, sometimes for hours

Since this doctor had NEVER seen an injury or a case like this where some controlled movement and feeling was apparently returning he could only speculate:
the nerves that were responding were somehow impossibly healing
or regenerating themselves BUT because of the damage which they saw during the operation in their opinion
they were sure some of the nerves to some of the muscles would never make that transition,
they were damaged too badly ~ I would need to learn to use, develop and control the muscles that would respond if I had any hope of walking again

During my physical therapy I was given steroids to assist in the muscle building process
At that time little was known about the long term adverse affects steroids might have
I am sure I had to sign some release papers,
but can NOT recall any discussions with any doctors concerning the dangers of steroids
I found out first hand there were very serious side effects ( more on that later )

After 3 weeks I could still move only my left foot noticeably
but not dramatically.
I was discharged from the hospital afraid, scared and unsure what the future held.
I was assigned to a new out patient therapy facility near my home.

My mother came over and helped me re-arrange my home to be more wheel chair accessible and easier to maneuver around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a ramp built to my front door.

My father would come to my house 5 days a week,
wheel me out, lift me into his car, take me to therapy then home again and wheel me back into my house,
he was 67 when this started. He was never late nor did he once complain.

My routine at first was to get up
-- get ready for therapy - go to therapy - come home - take a sits shower - watch TV - make dinner
( I ate one full meal a day with a snack in the evening most days ~~~
I became a micro-wave wizard - get on the computer and - watch more TV,
once in a while a friend would stop by to visit, then I would go to sleep

The therapists at the new facility said they too had NOT seen many cases like mine,
and I was instructed NOT to get my hopes up - in other cases they saw a small recovery - then nothing.

The new physical therapists told me I should expect the worse and hope for the best

The thought of NEVER walking again was thrust back into my mind

The therapy first consisted of me just lying on my back
and the technician lifting and bending my legs since I could not perform these tasks.
After a month I had progressed to lifting my left leg off the pad a few inches on my own.
My right leg was not responding to the therapy as quickly as my left. Leg weights were added.
A few more months and I could move both my legs
( actually it was more like swinging my legs )
and I started using the parallel bars

I could not stand or take a step on my own as my legs were just not strong enough to do this

But I was getting stronger every day

To make a long story short - after 6 1/2 months,
much pain and hard work I felt a bit cocky & the therapist was not looking
so I let go of the parallel bars I used to support me
and I took my first 2 steps on my own without using any support to hold onto.

I did what the Doctors had claimed was almost Impossible
I had walked again

As Billy Crystal said in a famous movie
"It was the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE"

To me it was like conquering Mt. Everest.

The therapist caught me and really laid into me - telling me that I could have fallen and re-injured myself.

So that was that for heroics

For another 5 months slow but steady improvement was seen

The ritual was tedious and most times boring but oh so necessary

A treadmill was introduced

My right leg had started to get stronger
I could not yet stand up out of a chair without assists

Then, about one year after the injury and operation I underwent the second
ElectroMiloGram to see how much improvement I had made.
By this time I had regained much more feeling in my legs and
I felt the pain of the needles being STUCK DEEP into my leg muscles
and the effects of the electric shocks were extremely painful

Again 15 locations in each leg were tested

If I had know atomic secrets ot the where about of Ann Frank
I would have gladly given them up
OR admitted to being Dr. Josef Mengele

This test showed I had improved about 25 % over the first EMG

I thought this was way off as I felt much stronger then the test indicated

After 2 more months I was told I had plateaued
and I would NOT get any stronger -- AND there was no longer any reason for out patient therapy -
I was outraged - I could not yet get around without great effort using crutches or a walker
and leg braces and even then only for very short distances
and I still occassinally used the wheel chair

BUT This came from the same people who told me NOT to get my hopes up
and I might NEVER walk again ~ their prognosis had to be wrong again !!!!

My Instructions from them were:
to do a series of planned exercises for an hour each day to maintain what strength I had regained
to avoid muscle atrophy - then against my protests -- they cut me loose

I was livid --

They forgot who they are dealing with =
"Bill Tomsick and his band of Guardian Angels"

I went to see the primary doctor who performed the initial surgery
and told him what they had said --
He asked me "Bill, do you think you can get stronger ?" I answered "YES, without a doubt".

He made arrangements for me to go to another therapy facility.

So, after a break in my supervised therapy of three weeks
I started another regime of treatments.

I was put on a stationary bike and in the next year and half
would peddle probably a thousand miles, after a while they added a set of 3 stairs with a railing.

I can not even venture a guess as to how many times I transversed up and down those stairs.
I kept on getting stronger day by day. A while longer and I could take a few steps on my own but
I still need crutches and the foot braces if I have to go somewhere which required a longer time on my feet

The Foot Flop or Foot Drop was/is obvious is caused by the lack of control of the muscles
which bend your feet while walking -- Your feet actually flop

My overall stregth improved slowly to the point where I could walk 50 or 75 feet to to the door of the supermarket
on my own to go shopping - using a cart to support myself while I shopped

After another 7 months the therapy sessions were cut to three times a week and

Toward the end I was able to drive myself and no longer needed to impose on my father

I continued the painful, tedious, at times disheartening supervised out patient therapy
to keep rebuilding my muscles and to walk on my own. (( The total was ALMOST 30 months from the day of the injury to my final release ))

After that length of time I was able to walk on my own for short distances

I was informed I had to undergo a third EMG,
and I remember not sleeping for 24 hours previous to it in anticipation of the pain.
It was as bad as I had expected.
This time the test indicated I had regained about 45% of my strength over the first test
and it was the opinion of the doctors, again, I had reached my limit of recovery.

It was then decided further supervised therapy would not be necessary and I faced reality

So I was once again cut loose and ordered to exercise each day to maintain the muscle control I had attained.
Finally, I felt this was reasonable as a lot of time had passed and I knew I was NOT getting stronger,
But I was maintaining my strength

And using a cane was no problem and a better alternative than what had been presented to me at first.

I do my exercises at home every day to avoid the atrophy and try to assure my legs muscles stay at a constant level,
even though somedays it seems a bit useless,
I would recall what I had been through and how far I had come and do my daily work out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was around this time God smiled on me again and
gave me the inspiration for a hands free device to help
those with limited mobility perform foot hygiene and foot massage tasks
The device also stimulates circulation and incorporates the fundementals of Reflexology foot massage - without the need for bending
More on that below

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the day of the accident to the present I have still NOT run one stride --
I can NOT jog nor even walk at a fast pace BUT I can walk for short distances -
Recently my car broke down and I walked about a mile to my home
( I had to stop 3 times and rest )
That night I had continuous leg cramps

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I occasionally cut a little bit of the lawn ( not a lot, just a few passes )

I go fishing occasionally BUT that is the extent of my outside activity

Just the other day I was outside and decided to see if I could jump -
Remember, I am 6'6" and used to play basketball for Cuyahoga Community College
and in those days I was able to dunk the ball without effort

and was a hurdler and high jumper in track
But I found I COULD NOT EVEN GET A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND

As stated above - walking for just any distance, even with a cane, results in my having to sit down
and I get very short of breath and my heart pounds.
I have even experienced angina after just taking out the garbage

I try not to over-exert myself but when I do I suffer from it.

This is from the my lack of strenuos exercise and the heart condition which developed from the steroids given me

I think it is a natural reaction for most people, to think you can perform certain tasks that you could do before
and then find out that they are too much for you and wind up paying a price

~~~~~~~~~~~

If you saw me today you would hardly ever suspect I had been through ALL of this

I have a hitch in my gait and I lean to one side when walking and the foot flop is still noticable - if you are looking

I can not stand up out of chair without pushing up with my arms and need a bar in my bathroom to get off the toilet

I still have the "Foot Flop" or "Foot Drop" in both feet - more pronounced on the right especially if I am tired -- .
This is because the dorsiflexor muscles which run up the outside of the shin bone and control the up and down
- swivel movement of the ankle and foot -- my right one is non functioning and the left flexes but never fully redeveloped

My overall musculature composition is not great --
But it is far better than it was during the initial months of this ordeal
back then it was NON existent

I still have good days and bad days - more good than bad by a margin.
It will be an on-going, never ending effort to stay at a constant level and NOT retrogress

And because of my heart condition I must do some type of exercize too, no matter what the strain
as long as it does NOT tax my heart to extremes

So by doctors orders I try to do something everyday to help me keep up some muscle building
I may cut a few passes of my lawn
Or take out the garbage

A VERY small price to pay

I now suffer from what they are calling Restless Leg Syndrome ( 20 years ago this was not even heard of

If I am at rest I can feel my muscles twitching and if I watch my legs I can see the muscles spasming under the skin
as if there were jumping beans in them

I experience severe leg cramps most nights for which I take Q-vel
( an over the counter quinine medicine for the cramps)

These cramps always wake me up, so my sleep routine is drastically altered.
Most times My legs shake involuntarily when I am sitting and resting due to restless leg syndrome
- many people think it is a nervous habit,
comment on it and are amazed when I tell them why this happens
if they are patient enough to listen to the whole story,
I know I have lightened their load a little
and they usually comment to the effect "I thought I had troubles"
so I help and hopefully inspire them one on one.

These are just little reminders --
I will always be "still recovering"
and how lucky I am.

The traits of determination and perseverance and patience were deeply instilled in me.

The doctors actuallyused a word seldom heard from a doctor
and call it a "Miracle"

BUT, I can explain it - Prayer, faith and Divine Intervention.

They have accused me of
"Having the Tenacity of an Ant at a Picnic".

In my opinion I did the "IMPOSSIBLE"

~~~~~~~~~~~

I will never be 100% again

And I still Pray
"The Prayer"

My daily routine has changed little in the years since -
I get up, do some exercises, watch tv, prepare a dinner and prepared a snack for later
( remember - I very seldom ate more than one full meal a day )
and at night do more exercises.

As stated above I fish occasionally and at times do a bit of yard work

During the 30 months of my initial recovery I gained about 40 pounds
even with eating only one meal a day - from 210 to 250.

The doctors said this was a result of my lack of any vigorous exercise
But I have seen reports that steroids can cause excessive weight gain too
and as will be shown, they took a toll on my heart too

Recently I have been limited in my ability to exercise
by the car accident which resulted in 2 more operations mentioned later as a consequence of that event
and a heart condition
( with 3 operations - 2 to implant stents and 1 atherectomy to clear arteries )

During the last year of my therapy I came up with an idea for an assistive device for those with limited mobility -
The Foot-Eze -
and thus became an inventor ( one of two innovations ) --- more on those later

We had to sell the "Toms Band Box" because of my fathers own health problems
and it was obvious I would never be able to return to such vigorous work = as bar tending and managing a bar require very physical activity.
So I was forced into early retirement

My father has since died and Heaven became a better place

I had set a goal to run in a 5k walk
but because my heart condition, a result of the steroids, I have just about given up on that .
BUT I am still hopeful and looking forward to the day I may be able to at least walk in a 5k

Even though ALL of this is so frustrating -
At least I can get around on my own and drive.

As another great ball player Lou Gherig once said -
and it applies to me:
"I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth"

This whole period in my life is just more proof that anything is attainable with faith. work, determination and prayer
and I continue to believe that in spite of my continuing situation.

I feel I have been Touched by an Angel -
one of God's special Guardian Angels assigned to me
who is waiting to do even more for me,
testing my resolve to see if I will carry through on my promise "To help others."

The leg braces I wore during my two 1/2 years of therapy
and the Picture of Mickey Mantle my brother and myself hang on a wall in my house
as a reminder of how Blessed I am.

Was it a misdiagnosis by the doctors - I rather believe NOT

I believe this is what Mickey Mantle's word - inspiration and prayer and my determination helped do for me

I can NOT say any of these events or things have had anything
to do with my recovery but remember = I WAS TRYING EVERY THING POSSIBLE

YOU MUST JUDGE FOR YOURSELF
I choose to believe all these things worked in unison to get me through this

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, for spinal injury patients there are more treatments
and if caught immediately injections of enzymes and other drugs can help limit the damage
AND stem cell research is just over the horizon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may be saying - after reading this section
How can this man feel lucky ?
well compared to the alternative of being in a wheel chair the rest of my life,
I still maintain and always will --
I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth

~~~~~~

I started to have searing, constant pain in my hips
and was eventually diagnosed with AVN - AVASCULAR NECROSIS = necrotic
OR dead bones in both my hip joints caused by lack of blood flow

This condition as well as heart problems I suffer from were traced to the steroids I was unknowingly given during my initial therapy.

I would need hip replacement surgery, first on my left hip.
The doctors wanted to put off the surgery for as long as possible because
hip replacements are notorious for being needed every 15 years or so and I was not yet 50.
BUT I could not see depriving myself of years of a more active life just to prolong the inevitable.

Two doctors refused to do the hip surgery stating I was too young.

It was around this time I started to lose weight for no reason at all and dropped 35 pounds to 215

Finally I found a doctor to complete the left hip
( the worse of the two )

He told me if I had weighed more than 225 pounds he would not consider the operation
Is this Why my weight dropped ????

Now I have about 2 pounds of titanium in my left leg to replace the thigh bone and hip socket ~

For a time this severely limited my ability to do my required daily exercises
but the rehab from that operation helped me all around

I have found thousands of others while searching the net for "AVN"
who for one reason or another were given steroids or cortisone ( cortisone is a steroid )
and now suffer from AVN in their hips and shoulders.

The steroids I was given also caused heart problems by stopping my body from purging cholesterol

Please avoid any type of steroids at any cost
Always ask you doctor if any drug he has prescribed for you is steroid based
You would be surprised how many are

Again, The steroids were also found to be responsible for my heart conditions
I have two stents in my heart from closed arteries
More on that later

Then after years of the sparsest of activity and social life
combined with the recovery time from my hip surgery,
I was given the clearance from the Hip Doctor to get into a more active lifestyle and
was gearing up to jump into the Foot Eze Project with both feet ~ pun intended

Two weeks after I was cleared by the hip doctor
I was in the serious auto accident in which a drunk driver blew a stop sign and hit my car, which was totaled

I injured my back again and my cervical spine ( neck ), in this mishap
- over the next two years - I visited 18 different doctors and kept over 100 Doctor appointments as a result of this event.

As a result I have a cadaver bone implanted in my neck as a spacer to keep the vertebrae separated
and underwent a lumbar spine "discectomy" to relieve pressure on my sciatic nerves

Because of this accident PLUS the heart episodes mentioned on this page,
I have again had to put off the things I was planning to attempt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just had an MRI and now my right hip has deteriorated to 60%
and may soon be in need of replacement, although, I feel little pain from this -
the doctors suspect this might be because of the nerve damage to my legs or because I have grown accustomed to pain

I don't take ANY pain medications except for one aspirin a day whicjhwas prescribed by my heart doctor

Overall I try to remain as active as possible without over doing it.

I dopn't do anything very strenuos.

Skeptics, nay sayers and generally negative people might comment to the effect Mickey Mantle played a minimal role in this episode
- I firmly believe without his inspiring words and my determination directing me to recover - none of it would ever have come about.

Just to think a man of his import and standing would take the time
to lend his thoughts and inspiration to two young boys still gives me goose flesh.
He didn't promise to hit a home run as Babe Ruth did to the boy in the hospital,
but the impact his words & actions had in my life will never be forgotten and I want to share it with everyone.

I have always wondered why I was given this miracle while men like Christopher Reeeve,
Dennis Byrd and millions of others were still struggling with their injuries

~~~~~~~~~~~

Now to show how God works in strange ways -

I had been granted the "Miracle" and could at least ambulate again
after beating the odds
it was time to start to keep my " Promise " to help others.

This became an all consuming passion.

First the idea to write the book "I Shoulda Thought of That" to inspire and help others deal with similar events in their lives.
I self published in a paperback form and
will be offered it free for preparation and mailing costs and
I will make it available on the Internet very soon

email me HERE
and I will tell you when it is available

It also became a primer for novice inventors to guide them through that process
More on the Book later

~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for some of the things that have come out of this Injury

You may be amazed @ how this injury opened up doors
and led me on the first steps to keep my "Promise to Help Other"

~~~~~~~

We have all heard the phrase ~
Necessity IS the Mother of Invention
Out of a necessity and as a direct result of the spinal injury
~~~ I invented a Hands Free - No Bending - Personal Hygiene - Foot Care Device - Reflexology foot massager ~~~
during my recovery, because of my limited mobility and inability to bend to reach my feet
I saw a problem and developed a device to solve that problem and "help others"
perform personal care tasks - foot hygiene and foot massage
without using their hands and without the need for bending

Thus I became an Inventor.

During my research I found that the soothing aspects of Reflexology foot massage
is another beneficial result of using my unique device

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My mother gave me the name The "Foot Eze" and I had that trademarked in OHIO

I did 90% of the work on the project -
I built the prototype - scripted the test marketing tv commercial -
bought the air time - set up the manufacturing process which also can be run over the phone
- that is explained more fully in the Link to the PATENT FOR SALE found below
I arranged for the distribution of the product -
almost every aspect was done by me alone
with help from a college business class who did some research and built a feasible marketing plan.

I enlisted ADULT HANDICAPPED WORKSHOPS -
Parma, OH. & Old Brooklyn, OHIO
to package the Foot-Eze -
this was an additional way I could "help others".

I patented it -- had 3500 produced, then as already revealed --
test marketed it with a TV commercial, in print ads and online to good success

Then I ran into more health problems and my funds were used up

and I had to cut back on those efforts

~~~~~~~~~~

The invention process started a chain of events and led to experiences that would
and continue to be far more frustrating and stressful than the therapy.

At first I saw the invention as an opportunity to take my mind off of my physical situation,
replace the pain with aspirations
~ THEN ~ It occurred to me

Would this be the way to fulfill "The Promise" to help others

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because of my limited disablity income
and my depleted funds
I must limit myself to Helping as many others as possible
with the remaining inventory
until I can find someone to take over the patent and make and market the Foot eze as It should be

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Will make a
Donation to any cause the buyer designates
on some of the web pages offering the the Foot Eze
one of my sites is for the buyers to send them in care packages to support our troops,
By buying and sending some to Our Boys and Girls serving in Iraq, Afganistan or anywhere
or to send them to local Police or Fire Departments to show appreciation for the security they provide us

HERE is one of those sites
Look for the Donation Link

OR Just Google or Yahoo search for "Free Foot Care Gifts Donation for any soldiers" and my sites will come up in the top 10

The donations go TO ANY CAUSE OR Charity YOU
- The buyer designate with your payment -
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation for Spinal Injury Research Foundation,
the St Jude Hospital or the Mickey Mantle Organ Transplant Foundation are my favorites
but you can donate to ANY cause you choose:
Lung / Breast / Colon / or any Cancer Research Project -
Military Family Support Group - -
Hurricane Wilma - Katrina Or Rita Relief Funds
Salvation Army - Red Cross
The Buoniconti Fund
The Fund Raising arm of The Miami Project
a Foundation leading the way in Spinal Injury Research
- which the son of Former NFL great Nick Buoniconti - Marc spearheads
http://www.thebuonicontifund.com

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~

The Foot Eze is ideal to send as great gifts of personal care items in care packages to any soldiers
or give to a mom to be - Disabled person -
or anyone who has ever said 'My Feet are Killing Me" or "I'm Stressed Out"
I know that everyone in the whole world
No matter where you live

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Demonstration of my Invention
The Foot Eze
a Hands Free / No Bending Foot Care Device
Seen in this Video
Click HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have become obsessed with finding ways to help others and have come up with many variations and ways of doing so

You now have read
the reasons for initiating my efforts to "Help Others"
The result of the "Promise"

I hope you take the time to visit the linked pages about the Foot EZE
to see if you can help me too

Remember -- The Foot-Eze makes an ideal gift to send to any soldier even if you don't know one,
or give to a disabled person or to an expectant mom to be -
Any one who has ever said
'My Feet are KILLING me !
OR I'm Stressed Out"
" I know that is YOU !!!!

Also the fact it was packaged by Adult Handicapped Workshops

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, I offer the Foot Eze to be used as an incentive to get donations
to be used for charity fund raising
for any worthy cause
my programs are linked HERE

In addition you can make a donations
at my Ebay charity auction sites
on a regular basis. During eBays
"Charities for the Americas for 911" --
200 were bid on and sold.
100% of the net profits went automatically directly to that cause to disburse.

I kept the minimal s&h to cover my costs

-- You can find more of my sites by doing a "google" for great gifts for any soldiers free"

I placed myself under tremendous pressure to keep my "Promise" to help others but the compiling health problems and the inventing experience took their toll.

Again, as mentioned above, In the past few years I have had to undergo 3 heart surgeries -
The symptoms were found to be related to the steroids I was given
one of the side effects of stgeroids is their blocking the ability
of a bodies ability to disapate and control cholesterol
Thereby allowing it to build up in the body
I have had an angioplasty for an atherectomy and 2 to have stents implanted
an atherectomy is like a roto-rooter that is inserted into your heart arteries
or veins to clean out blockages casued by cholesterol
and a stent is a stainless steel tube
used to keep the arteries open ~
which Vice President Dick Chaney has made famous.
They are very rarely done any more

On doctors orders ~ and because of my present health situation / setbacks, and other personal occurrences( they are too many and too complicated to detail fully here )
~ I have had to cut back drastically on my efforts and have decided it is best to
Sell the Patent AND manufacturing process
That Info is Here - .

Not for a big profit ~ Yet I need to be assured that it is used to help others

The FOOT EZE would be great to sell directly to the military if someone knew the ins and outs of that process

You see, I always remember and am still attempting to think up ways to keep my "PROMISE"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I have succeeded in helping some but not to the extent I know is possible.

I could stop now & say I kept my promise. I HAVE HELPED OTHERS

But, my intention, is STILL to eventually assist and give comfort to many, many others but my health is holding me back

It all depends again on fate.

While many people never will have a chance to experience even one of the things I have -
or feel the need to keep promises or even ever get that opportunity - I can not yet, in good conscience, set this aside and be content with helping the few people I have
- I know the spirit in which I made the Promise and I will exhaust all my avenues
before I will settle for less. I am bound to do so.

In the meantime I must remember AND keep practicing the Pay It Forward Theory .

It is my belief the Higher Powers master plan and the reason for ALL that has gone on -
was to test me

I hope to sell the rights to someone to produce and market / distribute the Foot Eze,
someone with the ability, vision, foresight and a creative and aggressive marketing ability, and as stated earlier, who may have contacts in the Military Procurement System
OR The General Purchasing Office of the Government to cut through the red tape and sell it directly to the Militaries of the world

or to use my other unique marketing approaches to help the elderly, pregnant women and other disabled people.

I believe that will happen - Maybe that someone is you ???

Again - The patent for Sale Information Page is Here
I will accept any equitable offer

~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some of the ways I have found
To keep my promise to help others:
As a direct result of my spinal injury
and inability to bend
I have invented
The Hands Free Foot Eze

I have offered the Foot Eze to anyone who has ever said
'My Feet are Killing Me"
OR
"I'm Stressed Out"
as a way to Support Our Troops
AND a way to donate to any cause while Supporting the Troops

Go HERE for that

~~~~~~

I have also developed a way to raise money for charities and other worthy causes
using the Foot Eze -- HERE

~~~~~~~~

I have written and self published the book - "I Shoulda' Thought of That"

to share this story and to offer help
to would be inventors dealing with the inventing process
I have sold out the first run But
It will be available as an online book soon
Contact me HERE if you are interested and
I will let you know when it is online

~~~~~&&~~~~~

****&&****

To see some of the Interviews on TV
I have done regarding this story and my efforts to help others

GO HERE
to view a video In which I receive a Great American Award
From Mike Jerrick The Host of the Fox News Networks Morning Show

~~~~~~

The above banner is the Amber Alert
and is placed here to help find Lost and Abducted children
If the banner is yellow there is an active Amber Alert and the details will be given

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLICK HERE
Go back to the section you came from

~~~~~~~~~~

I firmly believe "All things happen for a reason and are inter-connected."

Without the injury I would never have had the idea for the "Foot-Eze" or the direction to write the book. Without the recovery there would be no Mickey Mantle Connection OR desire to help others.

I have done everything in my power to progress and have made headway, BUT I know that the potential to help many, many more people exists - I can NOT do it, alone.

It is within my reach and I have little control over it.

I can NOT give up Until I have done "everything possible" and I will then again praying for another seemingly "impossible" miracle

I KNOW I can never have an impact in the lives
of others on the scale of Christopher and Dana Reeve and Mickey Mickey but I still would like to
believe someday I can.

~~~~~

And while Mickey Mantle was portrayed as a carouser and drinker - he took the time to lend
some inspiration to a young boy many years ago
For that I will be forever grateful

How many people do you know who have had a meeting with a celebrity which resulted in the
inspiration for recovering from a paralyzing spinal injury, invented 2 products
which have both made it to the market ( even on the limited basis the Foot-eze and Depth Finder Mounting have )
done things to help handicapped workshops earn money
- written a self-published book
and was put in a position to be able keep a promise which has the potential to result in helping millions.

Lets not let this stagnate

What do you think ? Was there some mystical reason for you finding this page out of the over Three billion pages on the WWW.?

Maybe YOU are the one to help me help those millions of others by assisting me
in getting exposure for this story. Post it on newsgroups - write the networks and your local papers and tv stations. I will grant interviews to anyone.
- Please, GET INVOLVED

Contact the CBS evening news reported Steve Hartman @ http://www.cbs.com and go to evening news and look for "Assignment America" !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My book "I Shoulda Thought of That" was written - as still another way to help and inspireothers with my "Promise" in mind.

The title comes from the reaction to the FootEze by Podiatrists @ a seminar I attended -
after seeing the innovation they - to the man said "I Should have thought of That"

It contains this story and a copy of the Mickey picture is included in each copy.

But it also address the Inventing Process and how to approach it

I am looking forward to the day I can add the happy ending
on how this web page helped me find people who cared enough to offer help so I might FULLY keep my promise

I had 250 copies printed and have run out of those.
I am in the process of putting on on web pages and will distribute it online in the future

for just enough to cover my time == $4.98 per copy

Contact me with questions or to get on my mailing list when it is available

HERE

Here is bit more on the "FOOT - EZE" and my other invention
the Depth Finder Mounting Kit both are found on a regular basis on Ebay Charity Auctions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was given the idea of using the "Foot-eze" to help individuals,
groups and organizations raise or earn money through the Fund Raising

This Could be my real vehicle on the road to keep my "Promise"

I even gave the fund raising program
three tests at Fund raising walks and runs with some success.

It would be great if someone contacted me after seeing this page with an offer of help.

. My page dedicated to friends and
all the men and women lost in Viet Nam and other conflicts
~ Bill Pape * Terry Kilbane * Greg Fischer ~

Is HERE
It also links to sites and give statistics on all the wars the U.S. has been involved in since the late 1800's
Including Iraq 1 and Iraq 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This next link is The Viet Nam Wall War Memrial page
You can find EACH AND EVERY soldier who dies in that dark episode in American History listed

HERE

~~~~~

The Viet Nam Memorial Wall page needs help too

HERE is How to add The Wall Memorial link to your homepage

....................

My Brother at work in Indians BullPen 1964 - 1966

~~ My Brother ~~
~ back row upper right #23 ~
~~ Cleveland Indians ~~
~* Bull Pen = Batting Practice Catcher *~
**~ 1964 - 1966 ~**

And my brother has a Genuine ORIGINAL Mickey Mantle Rookie Card

~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am also looking for cooperation from the military family forum sites
Or anyone who wants to earn money
By working with you to offer my
personal care invention to soldiers ( male or female )

It can be a way for military wives to supplement their income or the military family orientated SITES TO RAISE MONEY

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

~

Contact me to inquire ~ or make a comment directly at the eamil link on this page

....................

.

.

This ends my saga. I hope you took something from it and will let me know what you thought

These are some more useful links below

Please stop @ those too
Click HERE for The Benefits Reflexology Foot Massager
the Foot-Eze can provide to working women - Seniors - Moms to Be - handicapped and fit and able people
~

**~~~~~~~~~~&&~~~~~~~~~~**

Again to attempt to keep the Promise to do nice things for others alive
Again: I am initiating a fund raising program to offer an invention of mine
which was a direct result of my injury and inability to bend.

It is for ANY individual
or ANY cause, group, org, club, church. school
looking to raise money
or who are looking for fund raising ideas to help raise money
As soon as This program catches on
I will also donate a percentage of my profits to my favorite causes
which just happen to be
the Christopher / Dana Reeve Foundation, Reeve-Irvine Research Center
and Mickey Mantle Foundation

This Could be THE ultimate WAY in which I will keep my "Promise".

~~~~+~~~~

~~~~+~~~~

The Patent For Sale Page is HERE

HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Dedication ** Christopher Reeve
And
Dana Reeve

At Age 42 Christopher Reeve broke his two top cervical spine vertebrae in an accident at a Horse show in Virginia on May 27, 1995:

He regained consciousness four days later at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA.
Mr Reeve passed on nine years later at 52 from complications of his spinal injury
Because God has chosen to bring them home
Mr Reeve and his wife Dana will never be able to see what impact they might have had in other lives

~~~~+~~~~

Dana Reeeve
We were all shocked and saddened to hear the news of the death of this special woman
She was Christophers Reeves wife.
A woman to be admired and looked up to as a role model
On August 9, 2005, at 44, Mrs. Dana Reeve, who was an outspoken non-smoker
announced she had lung cancer.
This proclaimation came JUST days after ABC News's anchorman Peter Jennings died from that condition

Mrs. Reeve died just 7 short months after making her condition public

She was a dedicated wife and the banner carrier for the causes of Paralysis and Lung Cancer
After her husband passed Dana Reeve was the head of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation until her death March 6, 2006

During their short lives
Chris and Dana accomplished much -
helped millions of others through their awareness efforts
and will be remembered for their humanitarianism and compassion
for the plight of those afflicted by spinal cord injuries

They are survived by a son - Will Reeve age 13

~~~~+~~~~

Their legacies will be:
- the future advancements made in stem cell research & the improvement in treatment for spinal injury and Lung Cancer patients

~~~

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center
a.k.a. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Foundation
http://www.paralysis.org

~* AND *~

The Reeve-Irvine Research Center
http://www.reeve.uci.edu
should play a major role in bringing this
highly debated and still uncertified cure / treatment to the forefront

Major breakthroughs are just now on the horizon in Stem Cell Research
which could help millions of spinal cord injury patients worldwide
studying neuro-muscular reaction to stimulus

The Christopher Reeeve Paralysis Foundation
was JUST eliminated and excluded from Federal Funding
Dana Reeeve was in the middle of trying to get that funding restored
Please contact your legislators HERE
and let them know you disapprove of their shortsighted action
All you need do is enter YOUR zip code
and your Senators and Representatives email addresses will be shown

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mickey Mantle
was a Bigger than LIFE HERO
He passed from liver cancer
and he will be remembered for the inspiration and pleasure he brought to others
through his performance on the Base Ball diamond
I will remember him for an act he performed many years ago which you will read about shortly

Mickey's death from Liver Cancer helped bring the problem of Organ Donations to the public's eye and
The Mickey Mantle Foundation
http://www.transweb.org/mantle2.html#about
Continues to work to match organ donors to potential needy organ recipients

~~~~+~~~~

May God Bless The Mick & Dana and Christopher Reeve

~~~~+~~~~

~~~~+~~~~

This page is ALSO dedicated to ALL the American servicemen and servicewomen who are sacrificing so much
to allow us the freedoms we enjoy

If they are injured, I hope it gives some hope that they will recover, as ANY thing is possible
AS YOU WILL SOON READ

God Bless and Protect them

~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Again -- I lost 3 good friends in Viet Nam
My page memorializing them
AND
all the men and women lost in Viet Nam and other conflicts
~ Bill Pape * Terry Kilbane * Greg Fischer - and Charles Heydorn ~

Is HERE
It also links to sites and give statistics on all the wars the U.S. has been involved in since the late 1800's
Including Iraq 1 and Iraq 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

A story of how Mickey Mantle help someone recover from
a paraltzing paralyzing spinal injury dedicated Kevin Everett
to Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation make
donation donate calluses callouses foot messagers, massagers, military family help forums families

Spinal Injury Recovery deemed miraclulous
Touched By an Angel Kevin Everett Dennis Byrd Mickey
Christopher Reeve Mantle Miracle Bill Mickey Mantle Bob Costas Kevin
Everett nbc Dennis Byrd spinal injuries Oprah Winfrey Ellen Degeneris Show
inspire bionoconti bonoconti

buenoconti mark marc. .

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Kevin everett walks again Buffalo unning Back Miracle recovery

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.
A Click here will help keep this page on the internet

```````

. http://www.infoseek.com

.

Alta Vista

.

Alta Vista http://www.GOOGLE.com

Google it

.

http://www.YAHOO.com
Yahooooooooo !! Yahoo.com yahoo

I was touched by an Angel

http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/fundrais.html
http://www.theswearingens.com/mick/
Dedications

Buffalo Bills Player Kevin Everett was paralyzed and is walking again

Will Buffalo Bills Player Kevin Everett ever walk again ?

Christopher Reaves Died from complications from a serious paralyzing spinal injury info.

Dana reeves died from lung cancer and will be remembered as a talented singer and actress Dedicated to actor Christopher Reeve

They have one son - William Reeve and two other chldren by a previous marriage of Christophers

Oprah winfrey needs to read this story

Let this inspire you My Touched By An Angel story meta name="Keywords" content="
Nancy Grace CNN HEADLINE NEWS SHOULD READ THIS STORY

Support the troops

This man should be included in the cnn heroes list

Let this inspire anyone who reads it, My Touched By An Angel saga. It invloves Mickey, Mantle, Cape Coral, Christpher and Dana Reeeve. I live in FLORIDA, Cleveland, Indians, 1997, patent for, sale, miracle

Micky Mantel dies from liver cancer

The inventors digest invention idea submission.
I think should interview Bill on his show and tell tell this story, hargrove, bill , bill beskid, bob vitarius,
inventors digest, inventions, patents for sale.

Herb Score, Carolyn Rhea, Cape Coral, FL, Cleveland Indians 1995 1997 world series.
The curse of the bambino
chicago goat curse. Bob Costas 2006 Olympics NBC bust
meta name="Description" content="
Jay Leno, Christopher Reeves, recovery,
A story of how Mickey Mantle help someone recover from a
spinal injury dedicated Kevin Everett
to Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation make donation donate calluses
callouses foot messagers, massagers, military family help
forums families

Cleveland Indians curse

accident, paralyzed, Mike, Sharon, Hargrove Cleveland Indians, 1995 1997 world series curse, miracle recovery, 1995 1997 world series loss
ava is nest a singerman is Johnny Cash or James Taylor

Ava Joy is that like almond joy ???

Mike Jerrick of fox news weekend friends and Day Side from Kansas -
Michael Jerrick, Keith Olberman, tv show personality interviewed bill twice in 1995
Lettrerman, Jay Leno, Ellen Degenaris, tv talks show, should all be lining up
to have Bill as a guest on their show and tell his story.
Tv talk shows, pat zajac, cnn news, Mike Jerrick fox news, Anderson Cooper
CNN AND the CNN top 10 stories of the day.

Msnbc news, Keith Olberman, Tucker CARLSON AND THE Situation
Don Imus, Paula Zahn. Anderson Cooper 360 should interview this man
Inventors of the FREE FOOT CARE FOR SOLDIERS AND HIS TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL STORY.
Myelogram, Adhesive Arachnoiditis

disabled assistive deives for a better life and living
Christopher died Oct 10th 2004 from complications from infections
GlennBeck is a n idiot

caused by bed sores - contacts sores -
regis philbin rosie odonnell george will carolyn
prah wimdfrey james frey NO -- rhae john walsh

billy crystal - craig ferguson tucker carlson msnbc - bill oreilly foxnews -
rita cosby
msnbc keith olberman msnbc great human interest stories story

I just am finding it hard to do that

CNN ~ The Ellen Degeneris Show ~ Oprah ~
~ Glenn Beck - Larry King - Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News ~
~ NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Late Night with David Letterman - Montel Williams -
The Today Show ~ Fox Networks Morning Show with Mike Jerrick ~ ABC's Good Morning America etc. ~

~~~~+~~~~

hopefully Dennis Byrd and others who have suffered catastrophic spinal inuries will read this and be inspired

Symptoms caused by Myelogram, dyes, Adhesive Arachnoiditis

dennis bird spinal injury The patent, manufacturing process and all pertinent marketing
info for the Tomiks Foot Eze reflexology foot massager device is for sale

FROM Thiis site HERE

.http://www.transweb.org/mantle2.html#about
http://www.transweb.org/mantle2.html#about My first of three appearances on Local Cable TV =
America's Talking on APRIL 19TH 1995 ~
If that day is not familiar it is the day the Oklahoma City Bombing took place ~
how many people do you think were watching a program about peoples life stories.
They called me back and Mike Jerrick
presented me with a "Great American Award" FOR THIS STORY and my efforts to help others.

I also appeared on "AT" to promote my Book.

The prayer to st jude worker of miracles help of hopeless causes AND THE Scared Heart of Jesus
I am looking for miracles stories
touched by an angel stories - mysterious recoveries from Injuries to be made into movies
for tv or the big screen

You can spell Micky Mantle name with the "e" as in Mickey Mantle or without the "e" as in Micky Mantle
The correcr spelling is with the "e" Mickey Mantle
and Not with it as in Micky Mantle ASK Billy chrystal crystal about the Mick
And his Foundation for organ donations so organ donors candy recipients can be matched up
and save lives>

As mentioned above I was injured in a car accident ( not my fault )
while on vacation On Cape Coral, FL.

~~~~~~~~~

Or maybe my friends who died in Viet Nam are intervening for me

Morrow (St. Jude Law), a genetic miracle of planning ...
http://www.goolge.com-- who caused his own spinalinjury
through carelessness
Jesus, Christopher Reeve. Oprah winfrey needs to read this it is not a James FREY story.

http://www.askjeeves.com-- http://www.crubheweb.com 00 http://www.yahoo.com

The Crucifish

The Legend of Crucifix Fish

http://www.ioffer.com
http://www.ebay.com
http://www.google.com-- http://www.ask.com ---

Nancy Grace CNN Headline News twins ?

Both should SHOULD READ THIS STORY and do an interview with Bill

Glenn Beck

Nancy Grace and Glenn Beck are both TV Shows on CNN Headline News HREF="http://www.inventorsdigest.com">..http://www.angelfire.com/un/mhfl/p/p.html

back injuries back pain sufferers bad back
http://www.ask.com

Dennis Byrd the football player from oklahoma &

died dies dead 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

high school reunion ny high school

miracle recovery from spinal injury St Jude novena prayer miracle 9 times a day for nine days