Jeff Bestwick Life Fund

Please meet Jeff Bestwick born December 21, 1962. Jeff moved to Huntsville, Ontario when he was 17 years old in 1978. He attended Huntsville High School and after graduating worked in the hospitality industry for Hidden Valley Resort and Deerhurst before taking a job at KWH Pipe where he worked in shipping for 5 years.

Opportunity presented itself when a position as a heavy equipment operator for Hutcheson Sand and Gravel became available. This position was great for an outdoorsman like Jeff. After 5 years in that position Jeff had other opportunities to work in the construction industry for several builders in Muskoka so he did.

Jeff is a man’s man and an avid outdoorsman who loves fishing, hiking and waterfowl hunting. He worked hard so that at the end of the day he could get out into the bush and out onto the water.

During the fall of 2004 Jeff was working falling trees for an independent contractor doing work for Tembec. The job was great he worked outdoors with heavy equipment and utilized his skills falling trees and the pay was great. On a beautiful late September day there was one tree left to fall before the workday was over. The cut was perfect and the tree fell exactly where it was supposed to, Jeff stepped up on the stump to begin limbing the tree and his life changed forever.

One week after the accident Jeff woke up in a bed in Toronto Western Hospital. Jeff had suffered a C3 spinal injury and brain trauma. Life was never going to be the same.

Speculation to what exactly happened continues to this day. The best guess seems to be that the falling tree clipped another tree on the way down tearing one of it’s branch’s away striking Jeff from behind. Jeff did regain consciousness briefly at the scene of the accident yelling at his co-worker to pick him up which he did, Jeff passed out and crumbled like a deck of cards. In retrospect this was the worst thing you could possibly do to someone with a potential spinal injury, but Jeff believes to this day the damage was already done.

The volunteer Sundridge Fire Department put Jeff on a backboard at the scene of the accident and drove him to Burk’s Falls where an air ambulance was waiting. The original plan was to fly to Sudbury, the flight crew changed their mind about half way to Sudbury and turned towards Toronto knowing full well Jeff’s condition was grave.

In November 2004 the first rehab session began because the swelling from the accident had finally gone down. The actual magnitude of the injury was just starting to become a reality for Jeff; depression set in and he virtually slept for the entire month of January 2005. By February he was starting to feel better after many intense sessions with his psychologist.

Preparation for his new life as a wheelchair bound quadriplegic was underway and Jeff was determined to make the best of it.

When asked whom the key person was that kept Jeff going during his darkest moments without hesitation he replies “my sister Tammy and my mother from Kelowna, BC ”. Pretty much a day to the year of the accident Jeff moved into his existing home in Huntsville. His sister Tammy spent months tirelessly scouting locations that would be appropriate for Jeff when he returned home from the hospital. Renovations were required, doors needed to be widened, and the bathroom needed to be converted to accommodate Jeff and his wheelchair. Ten years later it is still home sweet home.

There are many things that changed that sunny day in September 2004. The simple things in life like picking up a glass were no longer simple. Some of the friends you thought you had were no longer there. The outdoorsman now a quadriplegic was suddenly grounded. Physiotherapy became a regular part of daily life. Having caregivers coming and going became a must. Jeff was determined that whatever obstacles came his way he was going to plow through them.

Jeff does get a disability pension from WSIB, which is a percentage of what he earned when he was working. Jeff will tell you that it is enough to live on without a whole lot of extras. The pension expires when he turns 65.

September of 2014 marks the tenth anniversary of Jeff’s accident. Today he credits the friends he has at the local Huntsville Legion and Moose Delaney’s as two of the key reasons for being positive in life. When he’s surrounded by those people, he’s not the guy in a wheelchair he’s their buddy Jeff and he inspires many.

You will see Jeff riding his wheelchair all over the Town of Huntsville. He figures his years of operating heavy equipment came in handy when it came to learning how to maneuver his wheelchair through snow, rain and potholes.

There is a ground swell underway that is being led by Jan Nyquist from Pipefusion Services in Huntsville. Jan considers Jeff a very close friend and wants to see his friend back in the great outdoors where he belongs. Plans are underway to build and donate a custom NyDock pontoon boat that will have it’s own slip at Avery Beach in Huntsville. Jeff will be out on the water this summer with his fishing rod in tow.

A challenge is going out to Jeff’s other friends and members of the community to raise money for his new pontoon boat and all the accessories needed to get Jeff back on the water where he belongs.

Being alive today spending time with his friends and his faith in god are the three things that give Jeff peace of mind and determination to have a fulfilling life moving forward. He is truly an inspiration to others!

If Jeff’s story touches you, and you would like to help make his outdoor dream become a reality – donate today!

You can personally make a difference by donating to the Jeff Bestwick Life Fund Please make cheques payable to Pipefusion Services Inc. – 1029 Aspdin Rd., Huntsville, ON P1H 2J2

You can also make a credit card donation by calling Pipefusion Services Inc. at 705-789-9411