A Tribute From a Friend

I am writing this letter on behalf of my co-worker and friend, Kelly Bussio, in her request for an assist dog.

Poet Maya Angelou once reminded the public ‘to look for the heroes and sheroes in our lives’ – the everyday, usually unsung people around us who provide inspiration and make a profound difference in the lives of others. Kelly Bussio is anything but unsung, but she is a shero to every one of her friends and family.

I have known Kelly for fifteen years. I knew her before her accident when she was an avid water-skier, outdoorsman, and skydiving junkie. She was a very active and vivacious person.

On June 27, 1996 her life changed forever when the small plane carrying Kelly and her husband Brent, along with the pilot, crashed in flight to a skydiving competition in Chico, Montana. Kelly was the only survivor. Her diagnosis read like the index in a medical textbook. She had broken three ribs, her right collarbone and shoulder blade. Both lungs were punctured and filled with fluid. Her neck was broken in two places as well as three vertebrae in her upper back. Her chin had split in half, slicing her it diagonally and deep to the bone. Her upper lip was nearly severed and hung precariously crooked as she tried to answer the nurses’ questions. Her brain was jolted within her skull, bruising precious brain tissue and ultimately leading to damage her short-term memory. During the next few days, doctors also determined that her optic nerve had been pinched, causing blindness in her left eye. Doctors told her that she would never walk again, that her spine was shattered into a million pieces and that there was irreversible damage to her spinal chord – leaving her paralyzed from the armpits down.

“The strength it takes to survive is something our soul and body musters without regard of our mind – we do not choose to survive – it happens because of a connection we have to something beyond us” --- Kelly Crompton Bussio

I watched Kelly fight for her life after the accident. She is the strongest person I know. Not many of us will ever come to such an extreme edge to realize what luxuries in life we have. Kelly made a decision after the accident and mustered up everything she had to make the most of her new life. The next several years included countless hours of rehabilitation: rolling up steep hills to build arm strength, retraining herself to drive with just hands, learning to take care of herself all over again. It was determination to be as normal as possible for herself and family that pulled her though this excruciating time in her life.

Kelly returned to her job at ADP and has since been promoted to senior consultant. She is admired and respected by all of her co-workers for her extensive knowledge. She is a mentor and a driving force behind making our business successful.

Since the accident she has seen her daughter through the trying years of high school, then onto college and just recently attended Kristen’s master’s graduation. She and Kristen built themselves an accessible home and were managing their lives in an astounding manner. Then just when she thought life was great, it got even better. She met and married an amazing man.
JD takes such great, loving care of Kelly. If JD is around getting into cars and up stairs is a breeze. He simply lifts her to where she needs to be. Unfortunately for Kel, her friends are not as agile. But she allows us to “throw” her into vehicles and accidentally drop her on occasion all while we giggle. I know that JD would feel much better knowing that Kelly had an assist dog to help her when he wasn’t there. And I know that Kelly would like to be able to alleviate some of the duties JD takes on for her. A dog would be able to fill that space.

Because I see Kelly at work, at home and on vacation I have seen a slight deterioration in her ability to get around. The stress that her shoulders go through on a daily basis is starting to wear on her. She is suffering from chronic pain but has no other choice than to endure it if she wants to be mobile. A service dog would make her life so much easier in so many ways – even if all he does is help her out with a pull.

I just got back from a vacation to Mexico with Kelly. The resort did not accommodate her with an accessible room. She couldn’t do the simplest things like turn off the lights once she was in bed, adjust the temperature control or even get into the bathroom without assistance. When she travels for business our company pays for me to be her travel companion. Fortunately on business, accessible rooms are easy to get. But even then, half the time the shower head is out of reach, the closet rod might be lowered but the ironing board and iron are still hanging a foot from the ceiling and sometimes the beds are even too high to easily get into without help. I know that a service dog isn’t going to be able to get her the iron, but the assistance he would give her in simply getting around would help ease the exhaustion.

As for everyday life, people who walk take the simplest things for granted. Most of us think a sidewalk is flat when in actuality there is just the slightest incline. Ever tried wheeling yourself around on carpet? Kelly battles these two issues all day at work. Our offices are all carpeted making getting around much harder. Going between buildings involves maneuvering over several inclines, dips and cracks. A dog would be able to help her get around by herself. She is very independent and I know that it kills her to have to ask someone for a little push. Instead she will simply stop and take a break until her shoulders have had a minute to recoup and then she continues on.

It has been nearly twelve since the accident. I don’t think of Kelly as my friend in the wheelchair, she just rolls instead of walks to get where she wants. The chair is invisible because it is not what defines her as a person. Her accomplishments as a mother, wife, daughter, friend, and career woman far exceed what any able bodied woman could imagine for herself. In addition, Kelly has more strength of mind than anyone I know.

Today, she is my inspiration for so many things. Nothing slows her down. She has taught everyone that knows her that if you have the desire to accomplish something you can, you just have to try.

When she was having problems with regaining the strength in her hand and finding things to help pass the time, she learned to weave baskets. Soon, she was teaching basket making. Before the accident she was an expert seamstress. Have you ever tried to sew using a foot pedal without the use of your foot? Kelly can. She is also a poet, a writer and so much more. Her talents are endless.

I want Kelly to be placed with an assist dog. I don’t want to see her have to slow down because she is in pain. If the dog can pull her, flip a light switch or even run to my desk for help – her life would be easier. She has fought so hard to get where she is, deterioration at this point is a cruelty that I don’t want her to endure. I want her to keep her independence and I believe that an assist dog is exactly what will enable her to do it.

Kelly and her dog will have incredible support at home. And I can speak for all of her friends that she will have just as much support at work and on girls’ nights out.

I believe that Kelly is an excellent candidate for a service dog. She is responsible, an avid animal lover, dedicated to herself and her lifestyle not to mention she has an incredibly supportive husband and daughter. A dog that gets placed with the Bussios will be loved and well taken care of. I know that the bond she will create with her dog will be magical. She is so endearing and appreciative of the people around her. A dog would simply become the newest member of the family to love.