Page 6, August 7, 2015, Blue Stone Press LAND CLEARING | FOUNDATIONS DRIVEWAYS | DRAINAGE | PONDS SEPTICS | DEMOLITION BOULDER RETAINING WALLS LAWN DEVELOPMENT RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • FULLY INSURED 8 4 5 - 6 8 7 - 9 1 1 7 Visit our storefront: www.visitvortex.com/ mikes-earth-works MIKE’S EARTH WORKS EXCAVATING & LANDSCAPING 845-416-2220 COMPLETE LAWN CARE MOWING CLEAN UPS SEEDING FERTILIZING MIRON Wi n e & S irits Purveyor of fine wines and spirits since 1960 *Saturday Wine Tastings 1-4pm* Additional Discounts on Wines Tasted 845.336.5155 15 Boices Lane Kingston, NY Jillian Nadiak BSP R eporter On April 19, 2014, Randy Wolfeil’s life changed dramatically when a car he was working on back fired and c aused a can of carburetor spray to explode directly in front of his face, burning through all six layers of his eyes and leaving him blinded. “I’ve always been a fan of safety,” said Wolf eil. “But for some reason t he night that I was working on my truck, I didn’t have safety goggles on and if I did I wouldn’ t be blind t oday. ” The explosion surged into his face, trav- eling into his mouth and throat leaving a trail of blisters. “It was like a shotgun blast of chemicals,” he said. “Carburetor spray can cut through grease. Imagine what it does to your eyes.” He choked for about a minute, his life actually flashing before his eyes before he managed to find his four-wheeler. Un- able to see, he rode his four-wheeler up the road to his mother’s house, using the contrasting feeling of gravel and leaves as his guide. He managed to find the key to her house, let himself in, and knocked on her bedroom door. “All I could see were two white puffed up clouds,” his mother, Margaret, said. “No eyes at all. Like foam balls.” Wolf eil was i n shock . He insi sted he wa s OK because he couldn’t feel any pain, but his mother could see the clear answer. Upon arriving at Ellenville Hospital, they were rus hed to Westches ter Burn U nit, where W olfeil wo uld spend t he next 18 days receiving treatment. “I woke up the next morning and can just remember not being able to see a thing,” he said. “I re- member thinking, ‘Oh my God. What did I do to myself?’” Despite his face being burned, Wolfeil has no major scarring on his skin. His eyes, however, took the brunt of the explo- sion. “My kids are my life,” said Wolfeil. “It’s hard to say without crying, but when my daughter first saw my eyes she said that I reminded her of a zombie, and she had nightmares that night. It was really painful for me to take that in. My boy is older so he understands.” Wolfeil now wears sun- glasses “like a person with a pimple wears a mask” when his daughter visits him. Despite this accident and the repercus- sions it has had on his daily life, Wolfeil has chosen to uphold his sobriety, which he has had for three years now. Wolfeil’s mantra, “I am a power of example,” are the words th at keep h im uplifte d and optimi s- tic. “People have told me that if it weren’t for me, they would be drinking today,” he said. Wolfe il holds w eekly ins piration al meetings on his own porch, where he gets together with friends to maintain the optimism in his life. Wolfeil dreams of using h is experienc e to speak publicly about the importance of safety in the workplace and to continue inspiring others in their quest for sobriety. The Association of the Blind has given Wolf eil many things to h elp him a djust, such as a spaghetti pot with a locking lid and strainer, elbow-high oven mitts, a talk- ing scale and watch, an audio book player, and a liquid level indicator for his coffee. Even with all of these things, his voice recorder is the most helpful. Wolfe il held the small d evice in his hand. “I get depressed a lot,” he said, his head bent down. “Some days are very bad.” He clicked the play button. “Randy, you are an inspiration to so many people,” his own voice played, slow and steady. “You’ve been told so many times by so many people that you are a power of example. You need to stay strong, stay positive and keep yourself on the right track. You can beat this, Randy. I know it’s not easy, but I know you can do it. Just keep praying and praying and praying and God will take you places that you never thought you could ever go. Love yourself and do the best you can. Amen.” After a brief moment o f silence , he lifted his head. “I’ll take a day blind any day over a day being drunk,” he said. “That’s the God’s honest truth. ” Wolf eil owes h is succ ess to the unend- ing helpfulness of the people in his life. He even attributed most of his success in sobriety to one man in particular. “If it weren’t for Jerry Sla bod, I prob ably wou ld have drunk again. ” Slabod had nothing but good things to say about Wolfeil. “I’m 70 years old, and I haven’t met a lot of people who I respect as much as Randy, and that a fact,” said Slabod. “If I had a son, he’d be my son. How would anybody handle something as sudden as this and come out ahead? Instead of wallowing in self-pity he imme- diately pushed it aside.” Wolf eil maint ains his independence by walking to his mother’s house every day, where she helps him treat his eyes with drops six times a day. H e enjoys his favorite television programs and exercises as much as he can to keep himself strong. He even maintains his own goatee. At the end of the day, he walks back to his house with the he lp of his c ane. Things are still difficult, however, as his insurance is starting to refuse payment for certain surgeries, and he has another for another one his bottom eyelids coming up. His sister has set up a fundraiser t. There is hope of gaining his eyesight back if he becomes eligible to receive the Boston Keratoprosthesis (KPro) cornea surgery, a surgery that involves replacing his current cornea with an artificial one. Currently, Wolfeil uses his hands to feel his children’s faces when he visits them in order visualize them. “If I get my sight back, the first thing that I am going to do is go visit my children because I haven’t seen their faces visually in 16 months.” To help Wolfeil, visit www.gofundme. com/randywolfeil. A ccord man loses si gh t, i n spi r es others with his optimism and attitude Randy Wolfeil with his children, Cody, 12, and Sarah, 8. 435 Main Street, Rosendale, NY, 12472 www .the1850house. com 845-658 -7800 SUMMER at the historic 1850 House Inn & Tavern arrives with 10 beers on tap, a great wine selection, full bar and our beautiful riverside deck! Gourmet burgers, fat bread pizzas, small plates + specials will please your palate! Te Comfo rt o f an Inn.Te Hos pitalit y of a Pub .
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Page 6, August 7, 2015, Blue Stone Press
LAND CLEARING | FOUNDATIONS
DRIVEWAYS | DRAINAGE | PONDS
SEPTICS | DEMOLITION
BOULDER RETAINING WALLS
LAWN DEVELOPMENT
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • FULLY INSURED
8 4 5 - 6 8 7 - 9 1 1 7
Visit our storefront:
www.visitvortex.com/
mikes-earth-works
MIKE’SEARTHWORKSEXCAVATING&
LANDSCAPING 845-416-2220
C O M P L E T EL A W N C A R E
MOWING
CLEAN UPS
SEEDING
FERT IL IZ ING
MIRONWine & S irits
Purveyor of fine wines and spirits since 1960
*Saturday Wine Tastings 1-4pm*Additional Discounts on Wines Tasted
845.336.515515 Boices Lane Kingston, NY
Jillian Nadiak
BSP Reporter
On April 19, 2014, Randy Wolfeil’s lifechanged dramatically when a car he was working on backfired and caused a canof carburetor spray to explode directly infront of his face, burning through all sixlayers of his eyes and leaving him blinded.
“I’ve always been a fan of safety,” said Wolfeil. “But for some reason the nightthat I was working on my truck, I didn’thave safety goggles on and if I did I wouldn’t be blind today.”
The explosion surged into his face, trav-eling into his mouth and throat leaving atrail of blisters. “It was like a shotgun blastof chemicals,” he said. “Carburetor spraycan cut through grease. Imagine what itdoes to your eyes.”
He choked for about a minute, his lifeactually flashing before his eyes beforehe managed to find his four-wheeler. Un-able to see, he rode his four-wheeler upthe road to his mother’s house, using thecontrasting feeling of gravel and leaves ashis guide. He managed to find the key toher house, let himself in, and knocked onher bedroom door.
“All I could see were two white puffedup clouds,” his mother, Margaret, said. “Noeyes at all. Like foam balls.”
Wolfeil was in shock. He insisted he wasOK because he couldn’t feel any pain, buthis mother could see the clear answer.Upon arriving at Ellenville Hospital, they were rushed to Westchester Burn Unit, where Wolfeil would spend the next 18days receiving treatment. “I woke up thenext morning and can just remember notbeing able to see a thing,” he said. “I re-member thinking, ‘Oh my God. What did Ido to myself?’”
Despite his face being burned, Wolfeilhas no major scarring on his skin. Hiseyes, however, took the brunt of the explo-sion.
“My kids are my life,” said Wolfeil. “It’shard to say without crying, but when mydaughter first saw my eyes she said that
I reminded her of a zombie, and she hadnightmares that night. It was really painfulfor me to take that in. My boy is older so heunderstands.” Wolfeil now wears sun-glasses “like a person with a pimple wearsa mask” when his daughter visits him.
Despite this accident and the repercus-sions it has had on his daily life, Wolfeilhas chosen to uphold his sobriety, whichhe has had for three years now. Wolfeil’smantra, “I am a power of example,” are the words that keep him uplifted and optimis-tic. “People have told me that if it weren’tfor me, they would be drinking today,” hesaid.
Wolfeil holds weekly inspirationalmeetings on his own porch, where hegets together with friends to maintain theoptimism in his life.
Wolfeil dreams of using his experienceto speak publicly about the importance ofsafety in the workplace and to continueinspiring others in their quest for sobriety.
The Association of the Blind has given Wolfeil many things to help him adjust,such as a spaghetti pot with a locking lidand strainer, elbow-high oven mitts, a talk-ing scale and watch, an audio book player,and a liquid level indicator for his coffee.Even with all of these things, his voicerecorder is the most helpful.
Wolfeil held the small device in hishand. “I get depressed a lot,” he said, hishead bent down. “Some days are verybad.” He clicked the play button.
“Randy, you are an inspiration to somany people,” his own voice played, slowand steady. “You’ve been told so manytimes by so many people that you are apower of example. You need to stay strong,stay positive and keep yourself on the righttrack. You can beat this, Randy. I knowit’s not easy, but I know you can do it. Justkeep praying and praying and praying andGod will take you places that you neverthought you could ever go. Love yourselfand do the best you can. Amen.”
After a brief moment of silence, he liftedhis head. “I’ll take a day blind any day overa day being drunk,” he said. “That’s the
God’s honest truth.” Wolfeil owes his success to the unend-
ing helpfulness of the people in his life.He even attributed most of his successin sobriety to one man in particular. “If it weren’t for Jerry Slabod, I probably wouldhave drunk again.”
Slabod had nothing but good things tosay about Wolfeil. “I’m 70 years old, and Ihaven’t met a lot of people who I respectas much as Randy, and that a fact,” saidSlabod. “If I had a son, he’d be my son.How would anybody handle somethingas sudden as this and come out ahead?Instead of wallowing in self-pity he imme-diately pushed it aside.”
Wolfeil maintains his independenceby walking to his mother’s house everyday, where she helps him treat his eyes with drops six times a day. He enjoys hisfavorite television programs and exercisesas much as he can to keep himself strong.
He even maintains his own goatee. At theend of the day, he walks back to his house with the help of his cane.
Things are still difficult, however, as hisinsurance is starting to refuse payment forcertain surgeries, and he has another foranother one his bottom eyelids comingup. His sister has set up a fundraiser t.
There is hope of gaining his eyesightback if he becomes eligible to receive theBoston Keratoprosthesis (KPro) corneasurgery, a surgery that involves replacinghis current cornea with an artificial one.
Currently, Wolfeil uses his hands to feelhis children’s faces when he visits them inorder visualize them.
“If I get my sight back, the first thing thatI am going to do is go visit my childrenbecause I haven’t seen their faces visuallyin 16 months.”
To help Wolfeil, visit www.gofundme.com/randywolfeil.
Accord man loses sight, inspiresothers with his optimism and attitude
Randy Wolfeil with his children, Cody, 12, and Sarah, 8.
435 Main Street, Rosendale, NY, 12472
www.the1850house.com 845-658-7800
SUMMER at the historic 1850 House Inn
& Tavern arrives with 10 beers on tap, a great wine
selection, full bar and our beautiful riverside deck!
Gourmet burgers, fat bread
pizzas, small plates + specials
will please your palate!
Te Comfort of an Inn.Te Hospitality of a Pub.
15 Boices Lane Kingston, NY Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 12-6pm
Well worth the trip to Kingston!
www.mironwineandspirits.com • Like us on Facebook
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